Titanium fixation tacs versus sutures for securing free gingival grafts around dental implants
Official title: Clinical Evaluation of a Modified Technique for Free Gingival Graft Stabilization Using Titanium Fixation Tacs Around Implants Versus Conventional Suturing Technique: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Run by Cairo University · NCT07019428 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This test will see if using titanium fixation tacs to secure free gingival grafts in adults with inadequate keratinized gum around dental implants leads to more keratinized tissue gain than using sutures.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 40 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 26 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Cairo University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Cairo) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 2, 2024 |
| Main results expected | December 1, 2025 |
| Study ends | February 1, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | June 13, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07019428 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Healthy non-smoking adults aged 18–40 with less than 2 mm of keratinized gingiva around dental implants, good plaque control, no active periodontal disease, and no contraindicating medical conditions are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who smoke, have systemic disease, take blood thinners or drugs that cause gingival enlargement, are pregnant or lactating, undergoing orthodontic treatment, or have active periodontal disease are unlikely to qualify or benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This randomized, controlled, parallel-group trial enrolls eligible adults to receive a free gingival graft from the palate that is secured either with titanium fixation tacs or with conventional sutures. The primary outcome is the width of keratinized gingiva measured after healing using standardized clinical measurements at scheduled follow-up visits. Investigators hypothesize that tacs will reduce operative time and improve intimate graft stabilization, which may reduce healing contraction and improve tissue adherence. The single-center study is conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to select healthy non-smoking participants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, using titanium tacs could shorten surgery time, improve graft stability, and result in greater keratinized tissue gain with potentially less postoperative discomfort.
How similar studies have gone: Fixation tacks and similar anchoring devices have been reported in mucogingival surgery with favorable case series, but randomized head-to-head evidence against sutures is limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Systemically healthy individuals of age ≥ 18 to 40 years with absence of active periodontal disease. * Having inadequate width of keratinized gingiva (\< 2 mm). * No systemic disease according to Modified Cornell Medical Index health questionnaire * Non-smoker. * Full mouth plaque index (PI) and full-mouth bleeding on probing (BOP) score of ≤ 15%. * No malocclusion, crowding, fillings, missing or supernumerary mandibular anterior teeth. * No blood-borne conditions. Exclusion Criteria: * Active orthodontic treatment. * Previous periodontal surgery. * Systemic disease. * Use of blood thinners. * Use of any drugs that might lead to gingival enlargement. * Mucogingival stress, bruxism. * Pregnancy or lactation.
Where it's running
-
Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University
Cairo, Egypt Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Amr Zahran, Professor of Periodontology — Cairo University
- Study coordinator: Mohamed Atef Kamal Ibrahim, Bds
- Email: mohamed-kamal@dentistry.cu.edu.eg
- Phone: +2001121266030
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.