{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T16:35:13Z","timestamp":1785429313705,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775088000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Medical University\u2014Plovdiv","award":["01\/2024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["01\/2024"]}]},{"award":["01\/2024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["01\/2024"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02kzxd152","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Clinical Significance: The optimization of soft tissue healing following oral surgical procedures remains a key factor for achieving long-term functional and esthetic success. This article aims to explore the clinical application and healing potential of zinc-containing stents in the management of various oral soft tissue conditions. Case Presentation: Four clinical cases involving different etiologies of soft tissue lesions were included: (1) persistent pregnancy-associated gingival enlargement, (2) prosthesis-related gingival inflammation, (3) plaque-induced gingivitis, and (4) palatal thermal injury.Zinc-containing stents were fabricated from preheated granulate and applied following initial or supportive plaque control. Patients were instructed to wear the stents for a prescribed period. Clinical parameters, including the full mouth plaque score (FMPS), full mouth bleeding score (FMBS), tissue appearance, and patient comfort, were evaluated during follow-up. All four patients demonstrated complete resolution of clinical signs, including reduced inflammation, improved gingival contour, and accelerated tissue healing, without reported discomfort or adverse effects. In inflammatory cases, FMPS and FMBS values decreased markedly after stent use, while the palatal burn lesion showed complete re-epithelialization within five days. No adverse effects or complications were observed during follow-up periods ranging from one week to one year for the different cases. Conclusions: Zinc-containing stents show promising clinical potential as adjunctive tools in the management of periodontal and oral mucosal conditions. Their bioactive properties\u2014anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and regenerative\u2014may enhance soft tissue healing and patient comfort. Further controlled clinical studies are needed to establish standardized treatment protocols and optimize zinc formulations for wider adoption in clinical practice.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/reports9020111","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T11:51:03Z","timestamp":1775130663000},"page":"111","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Zinc-Containing Surgical Stents for Soft Tissue Healing: Clinical Case Series and Chair-Side Application"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5464-5734","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Blagovesta","family":"Yaneva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Periodontology and Oral Diseases, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"},{"name":"Laser and Physical Dental Medicine, Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1287-930X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dobromira","family":"Shopova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"},{"name":"CAD\/CAM Center, Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liliya","family":"Kavlakova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Periodontology and Oral Diseases, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Georgi","family":"Boychev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Periodontology and Oral Diseases, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-7923-0000","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Petar","family":"Shentov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Periodontology and Oral Diseases, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"},{"name":"Laser and Physical Dental Medicine, Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2790-9356","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Atanaska","family":"Dinkova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laser and Physical Dental Medicine, Research Institute, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"},{"name":"Department of Oral Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1323","article-title":"Oral mucosal diseases: Evaluation and management","volume":"98","author":"Stoopler","year":"2014","journal-title":"Med. 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