Gum graft recovery: which palatal shield hurts least?
NCT ID NCT06892496
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 06, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests three different methods to protect the roof of the mouth after a gum graft. Fifty-six adults will rate their pain, swelling, and bleeding using a simple scale. The goal is to find which protection technique makes healing most comfortable.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Vacuum-formed retainer (VFR) technique
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could identify the most comfortable way to protect the palate after gum graft surgery, reducing pain and improving recovery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial focused on patient comfort, not a new treatment. Results may not apply to all patients or settings.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 56 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * At least 18 years of age * Healthy or Mild controlled systemic diseases with no functional limitations (ASA I or ASA II) * Sites with 1 to 3 teeth or implants requiring soft-tissue grafting * Minimum palatal thickness of 2 mm * Willing to participate and sign an informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with systemic conditions that could impair wound healing (i.e. diabetes, immunosuppressive, chemotherapy, etc.) * Pregnant patients * Patients with bleeding disorders or taking anticoagulants * Smokers * Patients with a history of palatal graft harvesting
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Virginia Commonwealth University
RECRUITINGRichmond, Virginia, 232398, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Gum graft surgery: does the bed matter for thin gums?
- Boosting gum grafts: do blood or gel Add-Ons reduce shrinkage?
- Can a new flap technique better cover receding gums?
- A new twist on gum surgery could better cover exposed roots
- Gum graft boost: growth factors may strengthen receding gum repair
- Micro-needling vs. gum graft: a tiny trial tests a simpler fix for receding gums