Abstract

A wound dressing is necessary to promote postoperative wound healing by preventing plaque buildup and bacterial invasion. Dressing made from hydrogel maintains wound moisture and is antibacterial and flexible/elastic. Applying dressing as a wound cover can stimulate the acceleration of healing. The formation of epithelium in wounds is one of the indicators of wound healing. Red algae contain carrageenan, a polysaccharide of hydrogel nature that can potentially be a wound dressing ingredient in the oral cavity. This study aimed to analyze hydrogel oral wound dressing based on red algae carrageenan on epithelial formation. Method. Male Wistar rats aged 2-3 months were performed horizontal incisions 2 mm long in the 0.5 mm area of the gingival edge of the midline region of the central incisive of the lower jaw. The extraction of kappa carrageenan was synthesized into a wound dressing and applied to cover the wound immediately after the incision. The negative control group is applied with dressing Erbemowcare®. For the positive control group, the wound lets without wound coverings. Epithelial formation is observed in histological preparations. The epithelium formation between the rats with Erbemowcare® oral. Wounds were covered with wound dressings (carrageenan or commercial), the formation of the epithelium was visible on the third day. In contrast, epithelium formation is visible in wounds without dressing on the seventh day. The epithelial thickness score in wounds with carrageenan-based and commercial dressings did not differ significantly (P