Evaluation of the effect of free gingival graft and subepithelial connective tissue graft operations on quality of life in the long term

Our study was planned to evaluate the quality of life, satisfaction and aesthetic status of the patients at the surgical site and clinical parameter measurements in the follow-up periods of free gingival graft (FGG) and connective tissue graft (CTG) operations comparatively. Our study included 90 female and 30 male patients between the ages of 18-60 years, who were systemically healthy and had undergone FGG and CTG operations. In all patients included in our study, it was ensured that at least 6 months had passed after the surgical procedure. Measurements of clinical parameters were recorded at least 6 months after the operations. OHIP-14 and Kiyak satisfaction questionnaire (KSQ) scales were applied to determine the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and satisfaction with the operation. The root coverage esthetic score (RES) was used to evaluate the postoperative aesthetic status of the patients. At the end of the scales administered to the patients and clinical parameters recorded, there was no significant difference in OHRQoL and patient satisfaction in the FGG and CTG groups, whereas RES was significantly higher in the CTG group. The positive correlation between OHIP-14 and its subscales was an indication of the internal consistency of the scale. The significantly higher RES in the maxilla may be due to the fact that CTG operations are preferred more frequently in the maxilla. In clinical measurements, keratinized tissue width (KTW) was higher in the FGG group, while pocket depth (PD) was significantly higher in the CTG group. OHIP-14 and KSQ total scores did not differ between FGG and CTG operations in the post-recovery follow-up period. In the future, comparative clinical studies including different types of operations involving the postoperative recovery period are needed.