Comparison of acellular dermal graft and palatal autograft in the reconstruction of keratinized gingiva around dental implants: a case report.

The use of autogenous gingival grafts has proved to be an effective and predictable way to increase the amount of keratinized gingiva. However, discomfort and pain at the donor site are unavoidable. Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) allograft can be used as a donor tissue to eliminate the need for another surgical site and alleviate pain and trauma. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ADM allograft in increasing the width of keratinized gingiva around dental implants. A patient with inadequate keratinized gingiva around dental implants in maxillary and mandibular anterior regions received either an ADM graft or palatal autograft by random allocation. The width of keratinized gingiva and other clinical periodontal parameters were recorded initially and at 3 and 6 months after surgery. Both grafts provided satisfactory results. The width of keratinized tissues was increased by using the ADM allograft, but by a lesser amount than seen with the autogenous gingival graft.