Comparison of gingival blood flow during healing of simplified papilla preservation and modified Widman flap surgery: a clinical trial using laser Doppler flowmetry

Aim: This prospective randomized‐controlled clinical trial compared the gingival blood flow responses following simplified papilla preservation (test) versus modified Widman flap (control). Materials and Methods: Twenty contra‐lateral upper sites with pocket depth 5 mm after initial treatment in 10 chronic periodontitis patients were randomly assigned to either test or control treatment, using a split‐mouth design. Laser Doppler flowmetry recordings were performed pre‐operatively, following anaesthesia, immediately post‐operatively and on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 15, 30 and 60, at nine selected sites per flap. Results: Significant ischaemia was observed at all sites following anaesthesia and immediately post‐operatively. At the mucosal flap basis, a peak hyperaemic response was observed on day 1, which tended to resolve by day 4 at the test sites, but persisted until day 7 at the control sites. The buccal and palatal papillae blood perfusion presented the maximum increase on day 7 in both groups and returned to baseline by day 15. Both surgical modalities yielded significant pocket depth reduction, recession increase and clinical attachment gain. Conclusions: Periodontal access flaps represent an ischaemia–reperfusion flap model. The simplified papilla preservation flap may be associated with faster recovery of the gingival blood flow post‐operatively compared with the modified Widman flap.