Evaluation of the Effect of Hypericum Perforatum L and Hyaluronic Acid on Excisional Palatal Wound Healing

The free gingival graft (FGG) procedure is one of the surgical approaches used to create a large adherent gingival and keratinized zone around teeth and implants. As part of this procedure, SDG is harvested from the palatal donor area. The most common postoperative complications from the palatal donor area left to secondary healing are pain, burning sensation and delayed wound healing at the donor site. Various hemostatic agents, dressing materials, platelet-rich fibrin and analgesics have been used for years to reduce postoperative complications, promote wound healing and increase patient comfort. However, none of them has been emphasized as the ideal agent in the relevant literature. In this thesis, we will compare the methods that will improve the healing of the hard palate, which is the donor site for SDG surgery, and postoperative patient comfort. Hypericum perforatum L and hyaluronic acid will be compared by local application to the palatal rotator area.

It is aimed to investigate the postoperative effects of topical application of Hypericum perforatum L and hyaluronic acid (trade names; HYPERICUM PERFORATUM L Dr Özberk St. John's wort oil; hyaluronic acid: Gengigel Forte Gel) on the healing of surgical wounds created in the palatal donor area after SDG and its effects on wound healing. Hyaluronic acid is a non-sulfated polysaccharide component of the glycosaminoglycan family, which is also found in joint fluids, serum and various body fluids such as saliva and gingival groove fluid. Although it is present in all periodontal tissues, it is especially prominent in non-mineralized tissues such as gingiva and periodontal ligament. The highly biocompatible and nonimmunogenic nature of the action of hyaluronic acid, its bacteriostatic, fungistatic, anti-inflammatory, antiedematous, osteoinductive and pro-angiogenetic properties leading to the promotion of wound healing in various tissues have led hyaluronic acid to be of interest in the treatment of various diseases in medical fields such as orthopedics, ophthalmology and dermatology. In dentistry, hyaluronic acid has been used in tooth extraction sockets, temporomandibular joint treatment to accelerate the healing process and to make the healing period comfortable.

Plants have always played an important role in the improvement of human health in history. Hypericum perforatum, a member of the Hypericaceae family, has been recognized as a valuable herbal medicine. This plant contains hyperforin, flavonoids and hypericin. The olive oil extract of H. perforatum has long been used as both topical and oral medicine to treat cuts, burns, depression, hemorrhoids, diabetes and gastrointestinal ulcers. Studies have shown that H. perforatum increases collagen deposition, shortens the duration of inflammation and stops the migration of fibroblasts during wound healing.

Both agents have many areas of use that have been tried and found to be effective on wound healing. It is aimed to contribute to the literature by evaluating these two agents in terms of wound healing and postoperative patient comfort in the palatal donor area and at the same time evaluating them with a control group in which no agent was used.