Efficacy of free gingival graft in treatment of localized gingival recession in smokers and non-smokers: donor site healing, graft shrinkage and success

Background:Because smoking is harmful to free gingival graft procedures,donor site healing, graft shrinkage and success of root coverage,so The present study was designed to evaluate effect of light smoking(≤10 cigarettes per day)and number of years of cigarettes smoking on free gingival graft procedures (donor site healing and graft shrinkage, success).
Methods: A total of 22 patients with miller classI,II gingival recession consist of two group,groupI was 12 non-smokers and groupII 10 smokers(≤10 cigarettes per day,less than five years on smoking habits) . All patients treated with free gingival graft. Phase I therapy was performed for all patients to provide an oral environmental more favorable to wound healing.. The following clinical indices measurements of plaque index, gingival index, probing depth clinical attachment level, recession height ,recession width, width of keratinized gingiva, gingival thickness, graft shrinkage (length, width),immediate and delayed bleeding, complete epithelization and discomfort, sensibilty disorder all were recorded at 1 month,3month and 6month.
Results: the non smokers group showed significant decrease of recession width and graft shrinkage area compared to smokers group, The clinical parameters showed improvement in non-smoker group more than smokers group but the difference was not statistically significant.probing depth,clinical attachment level, Recession height, keratinzation tissue width , gingival thickness, the improvement occurs at all follow up periods was more in non smokers than smokers
Conclusion: following free gingival graft procedures,free gingival graft undergoes graft shrinkage which decrease amount root coverage ,light and young smokers showed increased in recession width and graft shrinkage area .