Effects of a calcium and vitamin D supplement on alveolar ridge resorption in immediate denture patients.

The effect of a calcium and vitamin D dietary supplement on postextraction alveolar bone resorption is reported. Mean alveolar bone loss for patients receiving the supplement was 36% less than that for patients receiving a placebo medication in a 1-year double-blind study of 46 immediate denture patients. Relationships between alveolar bone resorption, osteoporosis, and adequacy of dietary calcium-phosphorus ratios were discussed, and clinical implications of recent research findings were presented.