Amniotic Allograft, A Possible Alternative to Free Gingival Graft in Improving Attached Gingiva Width: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Years of research have well demonstrated the pivotal role the attached gingiva plays in maintaining of periodontal health. Objective: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of two technics, amniotic allograft and free gingival graft (FGG), in improving the attached gingiva width (AGW) around the teeth. Methods: In this randomized controlled clinical trial study, 28 patients all in need of increased AGW were randomly halved and assigned to a test group receiving the amniotic allograft and a control group treated by a palatal FGG. Following the operation, the mean AGW, graft shrinkage, and color match were assessed and photographed at various intervals (1, 2, 6, and 12 weeks). The level of pain was also evaluated based on the visual analog scale (VAS). Results: The AGW was not significantly different between the two groups in 2, 6 and, 12 weeks post-operatively (P=0.17, 0.73, 0.76 respectively). The same applied to the amount of shrinkage between the two groups at the intervals (p=0.38, p=0.57 and p=0.52 respectively). The amniotic allograft group was superior (not significantly) in terms of the color match (p=0.59, p=0.31 and p=0.18 respectively). However, it was found to have significantly lower VAS pain scores than did the control group (p <0.05). Conclusion: Application of the amniotic allograft could decrease the postoperative pain as well as discomfort and effectively increase the AGW. Therefore, given the drawbacks of FGG, the amniotic allograft can be considered as a viable alternative.