Abstract:

The alveolar crest is tooth-related, and the tooth extraction causes its horizontal and vertical resorption. This poses numerous challenges regarding the masticatory function, speech, and digestion, as well as deteriorating the patient’s esthetics, self-esteem, and psychological health. This article aims to evaluate the amount of vertical bone resorption following tooth extraction in both socket walls for 3 months using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Twenty patients requiring a premolar or molar extraction were enrolled in this study (twelve men and eight women, aged 31-65 years). The surgery included atraumatic tooth extraction (including root separation in multi-rooted teeth) under infiltration anesthesia. The CBCT scans (Planmeca Pro Max 3D) were performed twice, following the extraction and 3 months after. The comparison of the buccal wall height for 3 months presented a significant bone resorption of 3.5 ± 2 mm (t = 8.7, p < 0.0001). For the oral wall, the resorption was 2.1 ± 1 mm (t = 9.3, p<0.0001). The estimated correlation between the vertical bone loss of both walls was weak and statistically insignificant (Pearson’s ρ = 0.2, p = 0.3). The mean difference between the resorptions was statistically significant – 1.4 mm (t = 3; p = 0.005), suggesting that the resorption in the control group did not proceed evenly, but was more pronounced in the buccal wall. A weak, statistically insignificant correlation was established between the resorption of the buccal and palatal/lingual plates, demonstrating that they did not affect each other. Keywords: alveolar crest resorption, alveolar ridge resorption, bone atrophy, tooth extraction