[Studies on the halfside comparison of heterotopic transplantation of mucosa with and without epithelium].

In patients with symmetric recessions in their canine and premolar regions, one side was supplied with an epithelium-containing and the other with an epithelium-free graft from the hard palate. Both sides were studied and compared. After six months, the size of the connective tissue transplants was reduced by 50% (that of the epithelium transplants by 0%). Within half a year, the width of the attached gingiva had decreased by 36% in the case of connective tissue transplants (epithelium transplants by 15%) and the vertical graft width by 60% (epithelium transpltnas 17%). Our clinical and histological findings suggest that grafting of heterotopic connective tissue transplants is not equal to epithelium-containing transplants.