Abstract
[Abstract]: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of topical irrigation with a solution of ozone (O3) water on soft tissue healing after dental implantation. Recruited patients underwent similar oral surgeries (dental implantation) on both sides of their upper jaws. One randomly selected site was irrigated with 10ml of O3 water solution immediately following surgery and after 3 days. The other side was irrigated with normal saline. Wound healing was assessed 24 hours and 5 days following the surgery. Early healing scores (EHSs) were registered. Post-operative instructions were provided to all patients. Of them, 12 were male and 16 were female. Tissues at the sites of surgery were thin in 13 patients and thick in 15 patients. The proportions of sites irrigated with ozonated water that had merged incision margins, no fibrin at the incision margins, and no signs of inflammation were higher than those of sites irrigated with saline on days 1 and 5 following the surgery. On day 1, the median total EHSs for re-epithelization, hemostasis, and inflammation were significantly higher for intervention sites than those for control sites. However, no significant differences were observed in the studied parameters between the intervention and control sites on day 5. O3 treatment enhances soft tissue healing in the immediate postoperative period. The assessment of long-term clinical outcomes of O3 treatment should be investigated further.