Shalev Tamir H, Kurtzman Gregori M, Shalev Alon H, Johnson Deborah K, Kersten Mark Elias M
1 Department of Developmental and Surgical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.
2 Private practice, Silver Spring, Md.
J Oral Implantol. 2017 Aug;43(4):283-290. doi: 10.1563/aaid-joi-D-17-00060. Epub 2017 Jun 19.
Alveolar bone loss occurs after extraction with loss of a premolar or anterior tooth; the residual supporting alveolar bone loss averages 1.53 mm of crestal bone height and 3.87 mm of buccolingual width, with most of the bone loss occurring at the facial plate. Socket preservation does not completely preserve the original ridge contours but can be an effective means of reducing bone loss following extraction. Attempts to rebuild the alveolar ridge structure after tooth loss often employ the concept of guided bone regeneration, a technique-sensitive procedure that routinely involves placement of particulate bone with or without fixation screws and either a resorbable or a nonresorbable membrane. We present a novel technique for stabilizing a resorbable membrane and underlying particulate graft allowing for predictable bone grafting across multiple edentulous sites.