Incorporation of Greater Palatal Artery Pathway Projection into a Static Surgical Guide

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> The purpose of this study was to develop a digital workflow to incorporate the mucosal projection of the pathways of the greater palatal artery into a static surgical guide used for free gingival graft harvesting and connective-tissue grafting techniques. &l...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alexandru E. Petre, Andrei Macris, Cezar Ionita, Gabriel Cojocariu, Sergiu Drafta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Dentistry Journal
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/13/4/152
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Summary:<b>Background/Objectives:</b> The purpose of this study was to develop a digital workflow to incorporate the mucosal projection of the pathways of the greater palatal artery into a static surgical guide used for free gingival graft harvesting and connective-tissue grafting techniques. <b>Methods:</b> A cone-beam computed tomography file was uploaded and segmented using specific tools from digital design software. The artery pathways were identified and marked on cone-beam computed tomography. A standard tessellation file format was obtained and uploaded into three-dimensional mesh-processing software; this was merged into an intraoral scan file. New files were obtained and uploaded into three-dimensional modeling software. The final model with projections of the artery pathways was generated using specific tools. The digital model was uploaded into guided surgery planning software to design a digital surgical guide that could later be printed with the artery pathways marked on its surface. <b>Results:</b> The static surgical guide to the palatal mucosa could be used during a surgical approach for marking the safe-zone area against the artery pathways. <b>Conclusions:</b> The proposed technique is a viable method for visualization and marking the artery pathway projection on a static surgical guide when performing free gingival graft harvesting and connective-tissue grafting techniques.
ISSN:2304-6767