Evaluation of the effects of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (I-PRF) and concentrated platelet-rich fibrin (C-PRF) on gingival phenotype

Objective: The periodontal phenotype influences periodontal health and the success of treatments in various dental disciplines, with the thin phenotype being considered a risk factor in terms of stable and sustainable treatment outcomes. Several approaches have been developed to enhance the gingival phenotype through phenotype modification. The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the effects of Injectable platelet rich fibrin (I-PRF) and concantrated platelet rich ribrin (C-PRF) applications on gingival thickness (GT) and keratinized tissue width (KTW) in individuals with a thin gingival phenotype. Materials and Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial included a total of 30 individuals with a thin periodontal phenotype. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: I-PRF and C-PRF. In both groups, all patients were treated with the vestibular incision subperiosteal tunnel access (VISTA) technique, with either I-PRF or C-PRF additionally applied during the first session. In the following three sessions, only I-PRF or C-PRF injections were performed, with a total of four treatment sessions carried out. GT and KTW were measured at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months. In addition, clinical periodontal parameters (plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI), pocket depth (PD)) were evaluated. Results: In both groups, GT and KTW increased significantly at 1 and 3 months compared to baseline (p<0.001). In terms of GT, intergroup comparisons revealed that the changes in the K-TZF group between baseline–1st month (p<0.05) and baseline–3rd months (p<0.05) were statistically significantly higher. Regarding KGW, time-dependent changes between groups were not found to be statistically significant at any time period (p>0.05). Periodontal parameters showed significant reductions in both groups at 1 and 3 months compared to baseline. Conclusion: I-PRF and C-PRF applications have increased in GT and KTW in individuals with a thin phenotype. It was observed that C-PRF provided a greater increase in GT compared to I-PRF, while there was no significant differences between the groups in terms of KTW. It was concluded that I-PRF and C-PRF may represent clinically applicable autologous biomaterials in phenotype modification. Keywords: Concentrated Platelet-Rich Fibrin, Injectable Platelet-Rich Fibrin, Phenotype Modification