Minimally Invasive Alveolar Ridge Preservation Utilizing an In Situ Hardening β-Tricalcium Phosphate Bone Substitute:...

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Oral Surgery
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Alveolar ridge resorption after tooth extraction is a common clinical challenge.
• Ridge preservation techniques aim to minimize bone loss and facilitate future implant placement.
• Minimally invasive procedures reduce patient morbidity and surgical costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of in situ hardening beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) granules coated with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) for ridge preservation.
• To assess new bone formation and graft resorption at postextraction sockets.
• To determine primary implant stability when using this biomaterial.

Main Methods:

• A case series of 10 patients undergoing single tooth extraction.
• Utilized β-TCP granules coated with PLGA as a grafting material without primary soft tissue closure.
• Clinical follow-up, bone core biopsies, histological analysis, and resonance frequency analysis for implant stability.

Main Results:

• Excellent soft tissue healing and preservation of attached gingiva in all patients.
• Significant new bone formation (24.4 ± 7.9%) and graft resorption (12.9 ± 7.7%) observed.
• High levels of primary implant stability achieved, measured by torque and resonance frequency analysis.

Conclusions:

• β-TCP coated with polylactide supports new bone formation in extraction sockets.
• The biomaterial's properties facilitate handling and create a stable scaffold for noninvasive techniques.
• This approach shows promise for effective and less invasive ridge preservation.