Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures of Palatal Donor Site Healing Using Polyvinylpyrrolidone–Sodium Hyaluronate Gel as a Dressing Material Following Free Gingival Graft Harvesting: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Objectives

This study evaluates the efficacy of polyvinylpyrrolidone–sodium hyaluronate (PVP-SH) gel as a dressing material in enhancing both clinical and patient-reported outcomes post-free gingival graft (FGG) harvesting from the hard palate.

Material and Methods

This randomized clinical trial included 18 patients and spanned from June 2022 to August 2023. Patients received an FGG procedure to manage a lack of attached gingiva. Following graft harvesting, patients were divided into two groups: the control group, which received Coe-Pak, and the test group, which was treated with PVP-SH gel. The primary outcome measured was complete epithelialization. Secondary outcomes included the Landry healing scale, post-operative pain level, and patient willingness to receive the same treatment again.

Results

The test group reported significantly lower analgesic use (p < 0.001) and reduced pain severity (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Furthermore, test group patients indicated a higher level of satisfaction regarding the prospect of retreatment. In contrast, the control group showed significantly slower progress in wound healing and epithelization (p < 0.05) compared to the test group.

Conclusions

The findings of this study suggest that PVP-SH gel is a superior dressing material post-FGG harvesting, yielding improved clinical and patient-reported outcomes relative to Coe-Pak.