A pilot study evaluating the effect of collagen sponges on healing and pain following tooth extraction

Abstract

Background: Clinicians often use collagen-derived matrices to aid in the regeneration of periodontal tissue during periodontal therapy; other uses of these materials include clot stabilization, wound protection, and patient comfort. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of absorbable collagen matrices on post-operative healing and pain. Materials: Five patients requiring multiple extractions were enrolled in a split mouth study design. Each subject required extraction of two or more similar sized teeth. The same nerve division with contralateral afferent terminations innervated each pair. We randomly assigned subjects to either a control or experimental group via a coin toss. The experimental groups received collagen sponges while the control groups received extraction only. All patients documented their pain experience in provided journals. In addition, calibrated examiners measured the wound margin closure via photographs of the extraction socket with a University of North Carolina probe as reference for measurement. Each examiner recorded the wound margins at baseline, three, seven, and twenty-one days following the extraction. Statistical analysis of the pain score and closure rates were conducted to determine results. Results: Five female patients were enrolled in the study, four of which were in active orthodontic treatment. Sixteen sites were measured, eight control and eight experimental. The general trend over time was that the collagen group had a higher rate of wound margin closure than the control, however statistical analysis indicated no significant difference (p >.05). In contrast, the average pain as reported on the numerical rating scale (NRS) was higher for the experimental side, although statistical analysis indicated that the difference was not significant (p >.05). Conclusion: The use of collagen sponges in extraction sockets do not increase the rate of wound margin closure. In addition, the use of collagen sponges does not decrease post-operative pain following a tooth extraction.