Rocco E Mele, Gregori M Kur
Abstract
Following tooth extraction, significant changes of alveolar ridge contour results from alveolar bone loss. Most of the bone loss occurs during the first 3-4 months following extraction. To prevent this, it is strongly recommended to graft the extraction site with a biocompatible and bioactive osseous graft material at the time of extraction. There are many options available for socket grafting each with its own deficiencies. Most of the synthetic and allograft type bone substitutes preserve the alveolar ridge during the repair phase of the wound healing but subsequently resorb during the following remodeling phase and therefore only achieve partial ridge restoration. Xenografts, on the other hand, do not osseointegrate sufficiently and form “islands” of foreign body within the bone structure. Recently, a novel procedure was developed where the extracted tooth is immediately processed as autologous graft that preserves the alveolar ridge for many years and is biocompatible to the host site in a highly predictable manner. The procedure also helps to keep treatment costs lower then prepackaged graft materials. Autologous graft particulate, made from the extracted tooth of the patient, undergo ankylosis with the newly formed bone i.e. one in which the exposed alveolar bony wall of the tooth extraction socket and particulate implants create a more natural biological union than other alternatives, hence providing a optimal and a more predictable short and long term clinical outcome.