The aim of the present study was to examine the tendency toward recurrence of free gingival graft extension surgery over a period of a year.
| Width of extension (incision to MGJ) | wound 6.6 +- 1.2 mm 1 mo. 3.8 +- 1.0 mm 6 mos. 3.5 +- 0.9 mm 12 mos. 3.5 +- 0.9 mm |
| Width of attached gingiva | before 1.7 +- 0.7 mm surgery 8.4 +- 1.5 mm 1 mo. 5.7 +- 1.3 mm 6 mos. 5.4 +- 1.0 mm 12 mos. 5.4 +- 1.1 mm |
| Width of Transplant | surgery 4.5 +- 0.8 mm 1 mo. 3.4 +- 0.9 mm 6 mos. 3.4 +- 0.9 mm 12 mos. 3.5 +- 1.0 mm |
| Vestibular Depth | before 5.0 +- 1.1 mm surgery 8.4 +- 1.5 mm 1 mo. 6.3 +- 1.3 mm 6 mos. 7.0 +- 1.4 mm 12 mos. 7.3 +- 1.4 mm |
| Sulcular Depth | before 1.25 mm 12 mos. 1.20 mm |
12 months post-op. in 38 of 42 cases, the junction of the movable alveolar mucosa was practically at the apical transplant margin. The free mucosal transplant will undergo approximately 25 % shrinkage during the 1st post-op month.
The study has demonstrated that wound overextension almost always relapses to the apical margin of the transplant, even when transplant of various widths are placed in identical extension wounds. The deepen vestibulum created by the extension operation exhibited a definite tendency toward recurrence in the 1st post-op month. Between months 1 to 12 , a slight tendency for it to become deeper again was observed.
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