BACKGROUND

studies in humans and animals have shown that following tooth removal (loss), the alveolar ridge becomes markedly reduced. Attempts made to counteract such ridge diminution by installing implants in the fresh extraction sockets were not successful, while socket grafting with anorganic bovine bone mineral prevented ridge contraction.

AIM

to examine whether grafting of the alveolar socket with the use of chips of autologous bone may allow ridge preservation following tooth extraction.

METHODS

in five beagle dogs, the distal roots of the third and fourth mandibular premolars were removed. The sockets in the right or the left jaw quadrant were grafted with either anorganic bovine bone or with chips of autologous bone harvested from the buccal bone plate. After 3 months of healing, biopsies of the experimental sites were sampled, prepared for buccal-lingual ground sections and examined with respect to size and composition.

RESULTS

it was observed that the majority of the autologous bone chips during healing had been resorbed and that the graft apparently did not interfere with socket healing or processes that resulted in ridge resorption.

CONCLUSION

autologous bone chips placed in the fresh extraction socket will (i) neither stimulate nor retard new bone formation and (ii) not prevent ridge resorption that occurs during healing following tooth extraction.