Clinical and Radiographic Comparison of Double-Flap Incision, Modified Periosteal Releasing Incision, and Coronally Advanced Lingual Flap to Periosteal Releasing Incision for Flap Advancement in Partially Edentulous Patients Undergoing Guided Bone Regeneration Using Titanium Mesh: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

A full-thickness crestal incision will be made over the edentulous ridge, and then one partial-thickness vertical incision will be made on the buccal side. A partial-thickness flap will be raised first to separate the mucosal layer from the overlying periosteum. Subsequently, the periosteal layer will be elevated to expose the underlying alveolar process. Xenograft and Ti-mesh will be used to augment the defective site then periosteal flap will be sutured first, with periosteal sutures securing the regenerative site. Then the mucosal flap will be closed.

A full-thickness muco-periosteal flap is reflected on the buccal side (crestal incision and two vertical releasing incisions). Near the base of mucoperiosteal flap, the periosteum is incised less than 0.5mm in depth, creating two segments, "coronal segment" and "apical segment," of the periosteal flap. The shallow incision helps in preventing damage to the submucosal layer. The flap is pulled with a pair of periodontal forceps laterally. Subsequently, the "lateral stretching" of the coronal segment of the flap is performed by applying pressure using the blunt face of scalpel blade with sweeping motion to allow flap advancement.

A full-thickness crestal incision will be performed in the keratinized tissue from the distal surface of the more distal tooth to the retromolar pad. The flap design will be continued intrasulcularly on both vestibular and lingual sides of the mesial portion of the flap, buccally, it will be finished with a vertical releasing incision. On the lingual side, a full-thickness mucoperiosteal flap will be elevated until reaching the mylohyoid line. Then, using a blunt instrument it will be localized a connective tissue band continuing with the epimysium of the mylohyoid muscle. The blunt instrument will be inserted below this connective band, and, with gentle traction in the coronal direction, this muscular insertion will be detached from the lingual flap.

A full-thickness crestal incision will be made over the edentulous ridge followed by one full-thickness vertical incision on the buccal side and a full thickness flap will be raised. Xenograft and Ti-mesh will be used to augment the defective site then incremental incisions of 1-3 mm into the periosteum and submucosa will be used to advance the muco-periosteal flap. The flap will then be sutured as a whole unit.