Free gingival graft (FGG) is a successful treatment for deficiency of keratinized soft tissue surrounding teeth and implants. In the conventional FGG procedure, the keratinized gingiva consisting of epithelium and a thin layer of underlying connective tissue from the donor site is transferred to the recipient site. It is suggested that 2 mm of keratinized tissue is adequate to maintain gingival and peri-implanter health. The keratinized gingiva surrounding the teeth and implants increases the resistance of the tissues to shrinkage and provides stability during prosthetic procedures. In cases where there is insufficient attached gingiva/peri-implant keratinized mucosa, it is necessary to increase the amount of attached soft tissue by using mucogingival surgical methods such as FGG procedures.^7-11

A platelet-rich fibrin clot (PRF) is preferred for the stabilization and revascularization of hard and soft tissue grafts due to their growth factors and plays a decisive role in haemostasis with its coagulating factors. From the moment it is applied to the area, it turns into a kind of biological adhesive shield that can consolidate the first set of platelets, thereby creating a vascularized protective wall to decrease the risk of contamination by microorganisms. The acceleration of vascularization due to growth factors, absence of toxic or allergic reactions due to autogenous graft, being economical and biocompatible are some of the advantages of applying PRF to the donor site. In recent years, titanium-prepared PRF (T-PRF) which is based on the hypothesis that titanium tubes may be more effective activating platelets than the glass tubes are used as an alternative for PRF. It has been stated that the contact of PRF and the silica is inevitable due to the preparation in a glass tube which makes the affiliation weaker in conventional PRF. Besides, the activation of platelets with titanium compared with activation with silica particles might provide increased biocompatibility due to possible adverse effects of silica particles. Several studies revealed that T-PRF has a longer resorption time than conventional PRF.¹²

Therefore, this study aimed to assess the healing effect of T-PRF clot membranes in palatal wounds after FGG harvesting and to compare the postsurgical pain experience and complications with a conventional procedure where a gelatine sponge was placed in the palatal wound.