Healing at Molar Extraction Sites Using Freeze-Dried Bone Allograft and Collagen Wound Dressing: Case Series and Three-Arm Analyses.

PURPOSE: Ridge preservation limits dimensional changes after tooth extraction. However, it is still unclear if using a membrane may be advantageous over a collagen wound dressing. Therefore, the goal of this report was to evaluate the outcomes of ridge preservation using freeze-dried bone allograft with a collagen wound dressing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 21 patients who had one molar extracted, and the site received ridge preservation using freeze-dried bone allograft and a collagen wound dressing (test 2 group). Patients had two standardized cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans, taken within 72 hours and 3 months after extraction, to measure changes in ridge height and width, and buccal and lingual plate thicknesses. Changes in keratinized tissue width were recorded. Three-arm analyses were performed using historic data from a previous randomized controlled trial by the same study group, in which 20 molar sites received a collagen wound dressing alone (control) and 20 received ridge preservation with freeze-dried bone allograft and a dense polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (test 1) using the same methodology. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in mean buccal ridge height changes between the control group (2.6 ± 2.06 mm) and test 2 group (1.55 ± 0.93 mm) but no difference in ridge and keratinized tissue width changes between groups. No correlation was found between buccal plate thickness and ridge width change. CONCLUSION: Freeze-dried bone allograft with collagen wound dressing as a barrier was used successfully for ridge preservation in intact molar extraction sites (< 50% bone loss) and can be considered as a treatment alternative to freeze-dried bone allograft with a dense polytetrafluoroethylene membrane.

Prevalence of gingival biotype and its relationship to dental malocclusion.

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of different gingival biotypes in a sample of patients and the association between gingival biotype and different dental malocclusions. METHODS: Two hundred adult patients (100 males and 100 females) who presented for treatment at the Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia were recruited from February 2011 to February 2012. Gingival thickness was assessed for the maxillary central incisors using the transparency of periodontal probe technique. Angle's classification of malocclusion and smoking habit were also recorded. RESULTS: The mean age was 32.1 (+/-11.0) years. Thin gingival biotype was observed in 44.5% of the sample, of which 64% were females and 25% were males (p=0.001). Only 31.4% of current smokers had thin gingival biotype compared to 51.9% of subjects who never smoked (p=0.011). No significant association between dental malocclusions and the presence of thin gingival biotype was found (Class I = 42.9%, Class II = 44.1%, and Class III 53.9%, p=0.6). CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of thin gingival biotype especially among females was observed. Smokers had thicker gingival biotype. No relationship was found between gingival biotypes and Angle's classification of malocclusion.