Modified Sling and Conventional Suture Techniques in Free Gingival Graft Operations

The GUG was obtained from the maxillary premolar area. A sulcular incision including the marginal gingival tissue, and two vertical incisions, including the distal and mesial papillae, was made in the palatial parts of the premolars. Then, the incision lines were combined and a 1-1.5 mm thick graft of the desired dimensions was dissected. The dissected graft was fixed to the recipient site with 5/0 polypropylene suture using a modified sling suture technique. First, the needle was passed through the graft slightly apical to the mesial papilla on the buccal side and removed from the lingual aspect including lingual papilla. Subsequently, on the distal side, the needle was passed from the lingual side to the buccal side, and it was passed through the graft slightly apical to the distal papilla and removed from the lingual gingiva again. Then it was knotted on the buccal graft by returning to the buccal starting point on the mesial side.

The GUG was obtained from the maxillary premolar area. The dissected graft was fixed to the recipient site with 5/0 polypropylene suture using conventional suture technique. Conventional suture technique includes a horizontal matrix suture and 2 simple sutures. First the coronal part of the dissected graft was fixed to the recipient bed with a horizontal matrix suture, then with 2 simple sutures along the vertical incision line from mesial and distal sides with 5/0 polypropylene suture.

Conventional graft dimensions were determined with aluminum foil and the foil was placed in the palatinal region at the level of the maxillary premolars, at least 2 mm away from the free gingival margin of the adjacent teeth. The exterier edges of the foil were drawn with a scalpel and the 1-1.5 mm thick graft was dissected from the donor site. The dissected graft was fixed to the recipient site with 5/0 polypropylene suture using a modified sling suture technique.

Conventional graft obtained from the palatinal region at the level of the maxillary premolars, at least 2 mm away from the free gingival margin of the adjacent teeth. The dissected graft was fixed to the recipient site with 5/0 polypropylene suture using conventional suture technique.