Topical Corticosteroid and Wound Healing After Periodontal Flap Surgery

November 7, 2026 updated by: Meral Uzunkaya, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

Effect of Topical Corticosteroid Application on Early Wound Healing After Periodontal Flap Surgery: A Randomized Split-Mouth Clinical Trial

This randomized split-mouth clinical trial aims to evaluate the effect of topical corticosteroid application on postoperative wound healing and pain following periodontal flap surgery in patients with periodontitis. Forty participants requiring bilateral periodontal flap surgery in the maxilla will be included. In each participant, one surgical site will be randomly assigned to receive topical triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% after surgery, while the contralateral site will serve as the control and will receive periodontal flap surgery without topical corticosteroid application. Wound healing, postoperative pain, and periodontal probing depth will be evaluated during the follow-up period.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that may require periodontal flap surgery when adequate treatment outcomes cannot be achieved with non-surgical periodontal therapy alone. Postoperative pain and early wound healing are important factors affecting patient comfort and recovery following periodontal surgery. Topical corticosteroids have anti-inflammatory properties and are widely used for various inflammatory conditions of the oral mucosa; however, evidence regarding their use following periodontal flap surgery is limited.

This prospective, randomized, controlled, split-mouth clinical trial will evaluate the effect of a single topical application of triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% following periodontal flap surgery. Forty patients with periodontitis who require bilateral periodontal flap surgery in the maxilla will be enrolled.

Each participant will undergo periodontal flap surgery at two contralateral maxillary sites in separate surgical sessions. Using random allocation, one site will receive topical triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% following suturing, whereas the contralateral site will undergo the same surgical procedure without topical corticosteroid application and will serve as the control. Thus, each participant will serve as their own control.

Postoperative wound healing and pain will be evaluated during follow-up, together with changes in periodontal probing depth. The split-mouth design is intended to reduce the influence of interindividual variability when comparing the two treatment conditions.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

40

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Kahramanmaraş, Turkey (Türkiye)
        • Recruiting
        • Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Faculty of Dentistry
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 years or older Systemically healthy Diagnosed with periodontitis Requiring bilateral periodontal flap surgery in the maxilla Presence of comparable contralateral maxillary surgical sites suitable for a split-mouth design Willing and able to provide written informed consent For female participants, postmenopausal status

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Women of childbearing potential Pregnant or lactating women Current smokers Presence of systemic diseases or conditions that may affect periodontal wound healing Use of medications that may affect periodontal tissues or wound healing Inability or unwillingness to comply with the study procedures and scheduled follow-up visits

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Topical Triamcinolone

Participants will undergo open flap debridement (OFD) at the randomly assigned test site in the maxilla. Following completion of the surgical procedure and suturing, 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide will be applied topically to the surgical site as a single application. Each participant will also receive the control intervention at the contralateral maxillary site in a separate surgical session.
Drug: Triamcinolone Acetonide 0.1% Oral Paste

A single topical application of 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide will be administered to the randomly assigned experimental surgical site following completion of open flap debridement and suturing.

Other Names:
  • Kenacort-A Orabase
Procedure: Open Flap Debridement

Open flap debridement (OFD) will be performed at the periodontal surgical site. The surgical procedure will be performed at both the experimental and control sites in separate surgical sessions.
Active Comparator: Control

Participants will undergo open flap debridement (OFD) at the contralateral maxillary control site without topical corticosteroid application. Each participant will also receive the experimental intervention at the opposite maxillary site in a separate surgical session.
Procedure: Open Flap Debridement

Open flap debridement (OFD) will be performed at the periodontal surgical site. The surgical procedure will be performed at both the experimental and control sites in separate surgical sessions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Early Wound Healing Index (EHI)
Time Frame: Postoperative days 7, 14, and 45 after each surgical procedure.

Postoperative wound healing will be assessed using the Early Wound Healing Index (EHI) at the surgical sites. The index evaluates early healing of the surgical wound based on clinical characteristics of the incision line.
Postoperative days 7, 14, and 45 after each surgical procedure.
Postoperative Pain Assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: Postoperative days 7, 14, and 45 after each surgical procedure.

Postoperative pain will be assessed using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Participants will rate their pain intensity on a 0-10 scale, where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents the worst imaginable pain. VAS scores will be compared between the topical triamcinolone and control surgical sites.
Postoperative days 7, 14, and 45 after each surgical procedure.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Periodontal Probing Depth (PPD)
Time Frame: Baseline and postoperative day 45 after each surgical procedure.

Periodontal probing depth (PPD) will be measured in millimeters using a periodontal probe. Changes in PPD will be evaluated by comparing baseline measurements with postoperative measurements at the surgical sites.
Baseline and postoperative day 45 after each surgical procedure.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 7, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 7, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

November 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 7, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • PFK-2026-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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