What affects pain after taking gum grafts from the palate?

Patient-Related Factors Influencing Postoperative Pain After Gingival Graft Harvesting From the Palate: A Prospective Study

Not applicable Interventional Universitat Internacional de Catalunya · NCT07377370

This project will see if patient, psychological, and clinical factors predict how much pain adults experience after having gum grafts taken from the palate.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment93 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorUniversitat Internacional de Catalunya Academic / other
Locations1 site (Barcelona, Sant Cugat Del Valles)
Trial IDNCT07377370 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This prospective cohort at the Clínica Universitària d'Odontologia of Universitat Internacional de Catalunya in Barcelona will enroll consecutive adults who need mucogingival surgery for root coverage or soft tissue augmentation. All participants will receive standardized pre‑surgical periodontal care and oral hygiene instruction, and gingival grafts will be harvested from the palate under local anesthesia using a uniform surgical technique with standardized postoperative analgesics and care. Validated questionnaires will collect anticipated and postoperative pain scores plus measures of stress, dental anxiety, psychological profile, and personality traits alongside clinical healing measures. The study excludes patients with conditions or medications that impair healing or pain perception to focus on patient‑related predictors of postoperative pain.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are systemically healthy adults (18 years or older) who need mucogingival surgery for root coverage or soft tissue augmentation and have good periodontal health with full‑mouth plaque and bleeding scores ≤20%.

Not a fit: Patients with systemic or metabolic diseases that impair healing, heavy smokers, chronic pain disorders, psychiatric diagnoses, recent grafting, pregnancy or lactation, or regular use of interfering medications are excluded and are unlikely to benefit from this protocol's findings.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help clinicians identify patients at higher risk of intense postoperative pain and tailor pain control and counseling after palatal graft harvesting.

How similar studies have performed: Previous observational studies have identified some clinical and psychological predictors of pain after dental surgery, but prospective, comprehensive data specifically for palatal gingival graft harvesting are limited.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients requiring mucogingival surgery for gingival augmentation or root coverage purposes
* Systemically healthy individuals aged 18 years or older
* Healthy periodontal status according to the AAP/EFP definition
* Full-mouth plaque score (FMPS) and full-mouth bleeding score (FMBS) ≤ 20%

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnancy or lactation
* Self-reported smoking ≥10 cigarettes/day
* Presence of metabolic or systemic diseases that negatively affect soft tissue healing
* Use of medications that may interfere with wound healing
* Chronic pain disorders (e.g., fibromyalgia)
* Psychiatric diagnoses
* Regular use of analgesics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, or opioids
* Allergy to the study medication (Ibuprofen)
* History of grafting within the past 6 months
* Ongoing orthodontic therapy

Where this trial is running

Barcelona, Sant Cugat Del Valles

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Postoperative Painpostoperative paingingival graftpatient-related factorspalatal wound healingpsychological profile
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.