Free gingival graft – a versatile treatment modality

Introduction: Attached gingiva is the part of gingiva which is i¬rm, resilient and tightly bound to the underlying periosteum of alveolar bone or to the root surface. The width of the attached gingiva is genetically predetermined, varies in different areas of the dentition, and its dimensions can change throughout life. Presence of an ‘‘adequate’’ amount of gingiva has been considered as a keystone for the maintenance of periodontal health. Free gingival graft (FGG) is a versatile treatment modality to create an adequate zone of attached gingiva. Objective: Evaluating FGG procured from different anatomical sites to increase the width of attached gingiva. Materials and Method: Three cases were selected with inadequate width of attached gingiva and treated with FGG obtained from different sites like palate, edentulous ridge and buccal attached gingiva. Cases were evaluated for gain in width of attached gingiva, colour matching of grafted soft tissue to adjacent areas and post-operative pain evaluation through visual analog scale. Result: There was an increase in width of attached gingiva with some coronal migration. FGG obtained from buccal attached gingiva and edentulous region had least pain post operatively with satisfactory colour matching as compared to FGG obtained from palate. Conclusion: FGG is a viable and effective modality for increasing the width of attached gingiva and can be procured from sites other than palate. Keywords: Free gingival graft, Attached gingiva, Visual analog scale