Management of the Alveolar Ridge Preservation after Tooth Extraction: A Review

Abstract

This review aims to evaluate the scientific evidence on the efficacy in the surgical protocols designed for preserving the alveolar ridge after tooth extraction and to evaluate how these techniques affect the placement of dental implants and the final implant supported restoration. Alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) procedures have become one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in dentistry, due to increased demand for dental implant therapy. Previous studies have repeatedly shown a naturally healed socket could lose up to 50% of its buccolingual width, which in turn would negatively impact the future implant placement. ARP procedures have been shown to consistently reduce the amount of post-extraction horizontal and vertical bone loss; however, it is still not conclusive which biomaterial or technique is the most superior. The purpose of this article is to review current evidence on various ARP procedures.