The effect of supracrestal tricalcium phosphate ceramic-microfibrillar collagen grafting on postsurgical soft tissue levels.

In this clinical study, a combined tricalcium phosphate ceramic (TCP) microfibrillar collagen supracrestal graft was used in conjunction with pocket elimination surgery as a soft tissue space filler to maintain marginal and interproximal tissue heights. Fifteen volunteer adult patients (8 male, 7 female) aged 37 to 48 years were selected. Standardized clinical probing measurements were used to evaluate soft tissue recession, clinical attachment, and probing pocket depths. Intraoral photographs and radiographs supplemented documentation. Twenty-five paired test and control sites were evaluated. Following flap surgery and minor osteoplasty, test defects received supracrestal grafts of TCP microfibrillar collagen prior to flap closure. Intrabony defects were excluded. Treatment modalities were compared by analyzing changes in clinical probing measurements over four months using the students t test for paired samples at the 0.01 level of significance. Supracrestal grafting resulted in 16.74% less soft tissue recession than the control sites. In addition, there was a significant gain in clinical attachment levels compared with the controls. All implanted sites demonstrated an advantage in the use of supracrestal TCP-collagen grafts compared with the controls. This treatment modality may have value in reducing esthetic deformities, food impaction areas, and root exposure that often occur following periodontal surgery.