title: Clinical evaluation of 3 techniques to augment keratinized tissue without root coverage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The importance of keratinized tissue is a controversial subject. However, in some situations most clinicians would agree that surgical procedures to increase the amount of keratinized tissue without root coverage are indicated. In this study, 3 surgical procedures were compared in their ability to increase the width of keratinized tissue. They are: the epithelized autogenous masticatory mucosa graft (free gingival graft), autogenous predominately connective tissue graft (connective tissue graft), and acellular dermal matrix.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five patients referred for treatment of areas with inadequate keratinized tissue were randomly assigned into 1 of 3 groups of 15 each. Each group was treated with 1 of the 3 surgical procedures to increase the width of keratinized tissue. The width of keratinized tissue pre- and postsurgery was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 3 groups started with a similar width of keratinized tissue. All of the surgical procedures resulted in a statistically significant increase in the width of keratinized tissue: free gingival graft, 4.1 mm; connective tissue graft, 3.6 mm; and acellular dermal matrix, 4.1 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A statistically significant increase in the amount of keratinized tissue was obtained with all 3 surgical procedures evaluated.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000601:surgery; D005893:Gingivoplasty / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods* / Q000473:pathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins