Fig. 1

Study design flow chart. A total of 526 individuals were initially recruited, and 98 people were excluded based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fifteen patients did not complete periodontal surgery due to sudden menstruation, the COVID-19 pandemic, time, unnegotiated expenses, or other reasons. A total of 413 subjects finished the periodontal surgery, and 28 people were lost to follow-up. Sixteen patients did not answer important items on the questionnaires (EHS, SF-MPQ, OHQoL-UK). Ultimately, data from 369 eligible subjects were analysed in this study