Abstract: Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of collagen sponge in augmenting keratinized gingiva around dental implants. Methods Fourteen patients with 16 surgical sites were randomly assigned to either the collagen sponge group or the free gingival graft group for keratinized gingiva augmentation. The width of keratinized tissue (WKT), soft tissue thickness (ST), color difference, and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores were measured at baseline, immediately after surgery, and at 6 weeks and 12 weeks postoperatively. Results At 12 weeks, the WKT was (5.81±0.75) mm and (3.50±0.53) mm (P<0.001), and the change in soft tissue thickness was (0.83±0.44) mm and (0.04±0.07) mm (P<0.05) in the free gingival graft and collagen sponge groups, respectively. The color difference values were 130.86±53.99 and 34.13±31.77 (P<0.05), the VAS pain scores was 5.13±1.25 and 1.88±1.13 (P<0.001), and the operative time was (38.17±4.56) min and (21.17±3.72) min (P<0.01), respectively, showing statistically significant differences. Conclusion Collagen sponge can be used for peri-implant keratinized gingiva augmentation. Compared with free gingival grafts, collagen sponges provide better aesthetic results, reduce operation time, and avoid the additional trauma associated with donor site harvesting.

Key words: Dental implant, Keratinized gingiva augmentation, Collagen sponge, Substitute