title: Do gingival soft tissues benefit from the application of a papilla preservation flap technique in endodontic surgery?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A healthy gingival condition after endodontic surgery may depend on adequate soft tissue management. The aim of this study was to compare 2 incision techniques, papilla base incision (PBI) and intrasulcular flap (IS), which are currently used in endodontic surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present nonrandomized controlled clinical trial, patients requiring endodontic surgery on a single tooth were enrolled. PBI was used in 1 group and IS was used in the other group. The primary outcomes were changes in periodontal probing depth, gingival recession, and height of the interproximal mesial and distal papillae. Outcome variables were assessed preoperatively and 6 months after surgery. Between-group differences were evaluated through appropriate statistical analysis, with significance set at a P value equal to .05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each group was composed of 12 patients and the 2 groups were comparable at baseline. Two weeks after surgery, papilla height decreased significantly in the IS group (2.05 and 1.80 mm at the mesial and distal aspects, respectively), whereas no significant decrease in papilla height was observed in the PBI group (0.10 and 0.20 mm). No statistically significant difference between groups was observed after 6 months. No significant difference between groups was found for gingival recession or probing depth at any follow-up time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Better soft tissue preservation in the early postoperative period was achieved using the PBI approach compared with the IS approach. The PBI can be recommended for endodontic surgical procedures involving esthetic regions.
authors.affiliation: Academic Researcher, Oral Health Research Center, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taschieri
authors.affiliation: Visiting Professor, Oral Implantology Research Center, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Corbella
authors.affiliation: Academic Researcher, Director, Oral Health Research Center, Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: massimo.delfabbro@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Fabbro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001047:Apicoectomy / Q000379:methods*; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005881:Gingiva / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000295:instrumentation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000145:classification; D012184:Retrograde Obturation / Q000379:methods; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000601:surgery*; D019237:Tooth Cervix / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D059708:Ultrasonic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology