Socket Preservation Using a (Dense) PTFE Barrier with or without Xenograft Material: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Oral Surgery
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Alveolar bone loss after tooth extraction can lead to aesthetic and functional issues, complicating dental implant placement.
• Guided bone regeneration with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes is a recognized method for alveolar bone maintenance.
• Dense PTFE membranes offer a viable option for socket preservation, aiding in future implant procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of alveolar preservation using dense PTFE membranes with and without xenograft material.
• To evaluate the impact of socket preservation on alveolar bone dimensions using Computerized tomography-based body composition (CTBC) analysis.
• To determine the optimal approach for maintaining alveolar bone height and width for dental implants.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study involving 29 teeth indicated for extraction.
• Test group: sockets filled with xenograft biomaterial and covered with dense PTFE membranes.
• Control group: sockets filled with blood clots and covered with dense PTFE membranes; CTBC analysis after four months.

Main Results:

• The test group showed greater increases in buccal plate width (0.91 mm vs. 0.46 mm) and alveolar height (0.35 mm vs. -0.41 mm) compared to the control group.
• Significant bone maintenance was observed in the crest, middle third, and overall alveolar height when using xenograft with PTFE membranes.
• Both groups experienced bone reduction in the apical third, with the control group showing a slight increase (0.09 mm) and the test group a slight decrease (-0.14 mm).

Conclusions:

• The combination of xenograft material and dense PTFE membranes is superior for alveolar ridge preservation compared to PTFE membranes with blood clots alone.
• This approach effectively maintains critical bone dimensions, particularly at the alveolar crest and in height, crucial for dental implant success.
• Socket preservation with xenograft and PTFE membranes provides enhanced bone volume for mediate/late implant placement.