Active Oxygen Gel Versus Hyaluronic Acid Gel for Palatal Wound Healing After Free Gingival Graft

This study is a randomized controlled clinical trial designed to evaluate the effect ofdifferent palatal dressing materials on wound healing following free gingival graftharvesting.The study will be conducted at the outpatient clinic of the Department of Oral Medicineand Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, Suez Canal University, after approval of theResearch Ethics Committee and Faculty Council. Thirty systemically healthy patientsdiagnosed with mucogingival defects requiring free gingival graft procedures will berecruited according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. All participants willsign an informed consent form prior to enrollment.Patients will be randomly allocated into three equal groups (n = 10 per group) using acomputer‐generated randomization method. Group A (control group) will receive a gelatinsponge covered with flowable composite on the palatal donor site. Group B will receivehyaluronic acid gel covered with a gelatin sponge and flowable composite. Group C willreceive active oxygen gel (Blue®m) covered with a gelatin sponge and flowable composite.Free gingival grafts will be harvested using the classical Sullivan and Atkins technique.The grafts will be adapted and sutured at the recipient site using resorbable sutures. Atthe donor site, hemostasis will be achieved using pressure with adrenaline‐soaked gauze,followed by application of the assigned dressing protocol for each group.Postoperative care will include analgesics (Ibuprofen 600 mg as needed), chlorhexidinemouth rinse (0.12%) twice daily for two weeks, and standard postoperative instructions.Patients will be recalled after 1 week for evaluation and removal/reapplication of thedressing when indicated, and again at 2 and 4 weeks for follow‐up assessments.Outcome measures include postoperative pain assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS),total analgesic consumption, wound healing evaluated by Landry healing index, completewound re‐epithelialization assessed using hydrogen peroxide test, two‐dimensional woundmeasurements, and recording of any postoperative complications.Statistical analysis will be performed using appropriate tests including ANOVA orKruskal‐Wallis test for comparison among groups, and repeated measures analysis forlongitudinal data. A p‐value ≤ 0.05 will be considered statistically significant.