Soft-tissue wound healing following periodontal surgery and Emdogain application.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to examine, by clinical means and as patient perception of post-operative events, the effect of Emdogain (enamel matrix derivative (EMD)) on the healing of soft-tissue wounds following periodontal surgery in comparison to flap surgeries without application of EMD.


METHODS
For this study, 22 subjects (nine female and 13 male) who were scheduled for periodontal flap surgery were selected. The mean age for all patients was 49.9 (SD 8.7) years (range, 32-67). Six women and five men were assigned to the test group and three women and eight men were assigned to the control group. All subjects were scheduled, after re-evaluation of the periodontal status 8 weeks after initial treatment, to undergo surgery of the soft tissues, because of existing of probing pocket depth (5 mm or more), on at least three teeth. At random, 11 patients were assigned to control treatment and 11 patients were placed in the test group. All underwent one periodontal flap surgery for the purpose of this study. A modified Widman flap was performed. Patients in the test group received an application of EMD underneath the mucoperiostal flaps and onto the exposed root surfaces. Clinical measurements were taken at four different points in time, at the time of surgery, 1, 4 and 8 weeks after surgery. All subjects filled out a questionnaire every day for the first 7 days following surgery to evaluate post-operative complaints.


RESULTS
Of all parameters evaluated none showed a significant difference between the control and EMD groups, except for gingival swelling at the 1-week assessment, where the EMD group exhibited a higher swelling score. The questionnaire revealed that complaints of oozing of blood from the wound was twice more prevalent 1 day post-surgery in the control (n=6) as in the EMD group (n=3).


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that the early woundhealing of periodontal flap-surgeries in those sites treated with Emdogain is not different from control sites.
Hagenaars
S
S
Department of Periodontology Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam, ACTA, The Netherlands.
Louwerse
P H G
PH
Timmerman
M F
MF
Van der Velden
U
U
Van der Weijden
G A
GA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003746:Dental Enamel Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D003746:Dental Enamel Proteins; C109069:enamel matrix proteins