A root volume study of the adult dentition for ridge preservation purposes

Ridge preservation has become a common practice to preserve the remaining alveolar bone volume after tooth extraction. The most common volume of graft material in commercially available vials is between 0.50 and 1.00 mL. The clinician must estimate how much grafting material is needed after extracting a tooth. The aim of this study is to provide the clinician with a volumetric guide for selection of graft material for ridge preservation after tooth extraction. Fifteen sets of permanent teeth, each representing a full adult dentition excluding the third molars, were selected at random from a collection of extracted teeth. Teeth were submerged in a polyvinyl siloxane impression material to record the negative impression of the root. Water was then used to fill this space and measure the root volume. For the majority of the teeth, 0.50 mL of graft material was adequate for grafting the socket. A volume greater than 0.50 mL was required to preserve the maxillary and mandibular first molars. Overestimation or underestimation of the amount of grafting material necessary postextraction may result in unnecessary expense.