A BONE REGENERATIVE APPROACH TO ALVEOLAR RIDGE MAINTENANCE FOLLOWING TOOTH EXTRACTION - REPORT OF 10 CASES

TEN PATIENTS WHO REQUIRED two Or more anterior teeth extractions were utilized in this study. Extraction procedures were carried out with a full thickness surgical flap approach. After flap reflection, teeth we re removed with a minimum of trauma to the surrounding bone, Following extraction silicone-based impression techniques were used to produce a model of the alveolar process and small metal pins were placed in th e alveolus to be used as fixed points to make measurements of ridge di mensions. One socket was covered with an expanded polytetrafluoroethyl ene (ePTFE) barrier membrane (experimental site); the other socket was a conventional control. The soft tissue flaps were then mobilized usi ng periosteal releasing incision and the wound closed with ePTFE mattr ess sutures. Six months following extraction, patients were treated wi th flap surgery to expose both extraction sites to remove the ePTFE me mbranes and to measure ridge dimensions using the pins as fixed points . Clinical and model measurements have shown statistically significant better ridge dimensions at experimental sites than at control (P less than or equal to 0.05). Three patients with exposed membranesd had si milar dimensional changes as controls. Results from this study suggest ed that this improved technique offers a predictable alveolar ridge ma intenance enhancing the bone quality for dental implant procedures and esthetic restorative dentistry.