Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Alveolar Ridge Preservation

Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Alveolar Ridge Preservation for Implant-prosthetic Rehabilitation in a Hospital Setting: a Prospective Study

Dental implants are considered a predictable rehabilitative option following tooth extraction or in cases of missing teeth. In some situations, the inevitable alveolar ridge resorption that occurs after extraction may make the placement of standard-diameter (>3.5 mm) or standard-length implants difficult or even impossible without advanced bone augmentation procedures. To counteract post-extraction volumetric bone contraction, alveolar ridge preservation can be performed, consisting of placing a bone graft within the socket walls immediately after tooth extraction. Although this procedure cannot completely prevent dimensional changes, it has been shown to significantly reduce both horizontal and vertical ridge resorption, as reported in the scientific literature. However, there is a lack of clinical and radiographic studies evaluating the outcomes of implant rehabilitation following alveolar ridge preservation with standard-dimension implants in a hospital-based setting.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients requiring alveolar ridge preservation procedures prior to implant rehabilitation of edentulous sites;
• Age > 18;
• Achievement of FMPS and FMBS ≤ 15%;
• Signed written informed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension;
• Uncontrolled periodontal disease;
• Inability to perform consistent and continuous follow-up;
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding;
• Inability to provide written informed consent.