Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026
Quantitative Assessment Protocol for Facial Soft Tissue Volumetric Changes with Stereophotogrammetry
Published on: December 9, 2025
2-Dimensional changes of the soft tissue profile of augmented and non-augmented human extraction sockets: a
Tabea Flügge1, Katja Nelson, Claudia Nack
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Aim:
This study identified the soft tissue changes of the alveolar ridge at different time points within 12 weeks after tooth extraction with and without socket augmentation.
Materials And Methods:
In 38 patients with single tooth extractions, 40 sockets were augmented and 39 extraction sockets were not augmented. At 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 weeks impressions were taken and casts digitized with a laser scanner. The horizontal and vertical changes were compared between augmented and non-augmented sites. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
The mean changes of augmented sockets were between 0.4 mm (2 weeks) and 0.8 mm (12 weeks). In non-augmented sockets changes of 0.7 mm (2 weeks) and of 1.0 mm (12 weeks) were demonstrated. The mean values differed significantly between the buccal and oral region (p < 0.01). Overall, there were significant differences of the mean dimensional changes regarding time (p < 0.01) and augmentation (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Augmented sockets showed less resorption within 4 weeks after extraction compared to non-augmented sockets. Non-augmented sockets showed a continuous dimensional loss with a great variation over 12 weeks whereas augmented sockets had the highest degree of resorption between 4 and 6 weeks. At 12 weeks a comparable resorption in augmented and non-augmented sockets was observed.
