Healing after Periodontal Surgery - A Review

Abstract

The native periodontium includes cementum, a functionally oriented periodontal ligament, alveolar bone and gingiva. Pathologic and / or traumatic events may lead to the loss or damage of this anatomical structure and cause wound. Wound Healing (WH) remained unclear for many years with varying concepts. Studies have shown that various surgical periodontal procedures can lead to different patterns of healing. The general principles of healing, and the cellular and molecular events observed in nonoral sites, also apply to the healing processes that take place following periodontal surgery. As periodontal-regenerative procedures are time consuming and financially demanding, there is increasing interest by clinicians to learn factors that may influence the clinical outcome following periodontal reconstructive surgery in order to provide the best possible service to patients. This goal can only be achieved if biological aspects of WH and regeneration are taken into consideration. The objectives of the present article are to discuss the basic principles of periodontal regeneration, to illustrate the factors that influence this process and to provide an overview of WH following periodontal surgical procedures, including scaling, root planning, curettage, gingivectomy, depigmentation, flap surgery, apically repositioned flap, replaced flap, pedicle soft tissue graft, free gingival graft, connective tissue graft, guided tissue regeneration, enamel matrix derivative, ridge preservation, osseous resection, Wilckodontics and implant. But the discovery of latest techniques have contributed to our understanding of the biology of WH. Clinical features of WH of dental procedures are not often discussed. The present review focuses on the monitoring of WH procedures and the process of understanding the biology of periodontal tissues in periodontal and implant dentistry.