EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF PLATELET‑RICH FIBRIN ON PALATAL DONOR AREA PAIN AFTER HARVESTING A FREE GINGIVAL GRAFT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the early healing of palatal wounds after free gingival grafting (FGG) procedures by comparing wounds dressed with platelet-rich fibrin membranes (PRFs) and wounds treated without any dressing material. Twenty patients with Miller class I?II gingival recession requiring a root-coverage procedure were selected for treatment with an FGG technique and were randomly assigned to two groups. The size of the graft was standardized to 10-10mm, and the thickness ranged from 1 mm?1.5 mm. The subjective parameter pain was recorded on the second and seventh days following surgery. The mean VAS scores for pain in the test group varied from 2.3 and 0.58, respectively, on the second and seventh days following surgery. The VAS scores for pain in the control group were 6.21 and 2.63, respectively, on the second and seventh days after the procedure. Statistically significant differences were found between the VAS scores of the test and control groups. The high VAS scores in the control group indicate that the use of PRF membranes as the palatal bandages for wound closure at the palatal donor site following FGG procedures is important for ensuring patient comfort.