Impact of a Bioadhesive Oral Wound Dressing Combined With Flowable Resin on Patient-Reported Outcomes After Palatal Graft Harvesting: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a cellulose-based oral wound dressing (OWD) stabilized with flowable resin (FR), in combination with hemostatic sponges, on patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) after palatal graft harvesting.

Materials and methods: This randomized clinical trial included patients requiring soft tissue augmentation with dental implants. Participants were allocated to three groups: OWD and FR (OWDFR), cyanoacrylate (CY), or palatal plate (PP). The primary outcome was postoperative pain, assessed with a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) over 14 days. Secondary outcomes were analgesic consumption, oral health-related quality of life (OHIP-14), postoperative bleeding, and willingness to repeat the procedure.

Results: Sixty-one patients were enrolled. The OWDFR group reported lower VAS values on Days 1, 2, 3, and 7 compared with CY and PP (p < 0.05). On Day 2, VAS scores were significantly lower in OWDFR, with mean differences of -1.94 versus CY and -2.12 versus PP (p < 0.01). Analgesic intake differed significantly on Days 3 and 5; on Day 3, OWDFR consumed -0.89 tablets compared to PP and CY consumed -0.95 tablets compared to PP (both p < 0.05). OHIP-14 scores were similar across groups, but OWDFR patients reported greater early postoperative comfort. No bleeding or adverse events occurred. All OWDFR patients were willing to repeat the procedure, compared with 90% in CY and 85% in PP.

Conclusions: The combination of a bioadhesive OWD with FR appears to be a safe and minimally invasive method for protecting palatal donor sites. It reduces postoperative pain and analgesic use while enhancing comfort, supporting its incorporation into routine clinical protocols.

Trial registration: Protocol registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06408792).