Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Adequate buccal soft tissue thickness is essential for long-term implant stability and aesthetics. Conventional augmentation with palatal connective tissue grafts is effective but increases morbidity and surgical time. This report presents a novel technique in which keratinized mucosa, routinely removed during guided implant placement, was preserved, deepithelialized, and reused as an autogenous graft. Two cases were treated: one with delayed loading and one with immediate loading. In both, the graft was placed into a buccal pouch and stabilized with a healing abutment. Clinical and radiographic follow-up showed uneventful healing, improved buccal soft tissue thickness, and stable peri-implant bone levels at 6 months. This technique highlights the feasibility of reusing discarded tissue as a donor-site-free grafting material within guided workflows.
Source: Journal of Surgical Case Reports
DOI: 10.1093/jscr/rjaf909
Author: Dler Ali Khursheed
Institution: University of Sulaimani
Language: English
Subfield: Oral Surgery
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,000
OpenAlex ID: W4416223153
