Evaluation of Self-filling Osmotic Tissue Expander in Augmenting Keratinized Tissue Around Dentulous Region

Under local anaesthesia, a small vertical incision, adapted to the diameter of the Osmed® sself-inflating hydrogel expander, was made with #15 scalpel blade at the mesial line angle of the adjacent tooth which started below the gingival margin extending from the keratinized tissue above the MGJ to the non-keratinized tissue beyond the MGJ. A minimally invasive preparation of a subperiosteal pouch was performed with KPA tunnelling knife. Size of the pouch was controlled with the specific surgical template to ensure the device easily fits into the prepared pouch without tension. Expanders were secured in the correct position with a bone fixation screw, at the flat end, which does not possess an expansion capability. The wound was closed with 3-0 silk suture using simple interrupted sutures.