Implant Rehabilitation of Severely Traumatised Anterior Alveolar Ridge

Abstract

Objective: To propose a sequential treatment approach for implant rehabilitation of a traumatised and deficient maxillary or mandibular alveolar ridge.Patients and Methods: Patients with severely deficient alveolar ridge and loss of teeth due to injury underwent sequential reconstructive procedures at the maxillary or mandibular edentulous areas with autogenous symphyseal bone or allogeneic bone graft with guided bone regeneration; vestibuloplasty with or without keratinised palatal mucosal graft to rebuild the vestibule; and implant rehabilitation. Postoperative followup consisted of clinical and radiographic examinations.Results: Thirty six implant fixtures were placed in the maxilla or mandible in 12 patients. The average follow-up period after treatment was 4 years. Before surgery, all patients had severely deficient ridges with a compromised shallow vestibule. Satisfactory results were observed in regard to the long-term stability of the rehabilitation result, contour of the reconstructed ridge, morphology of the vestibule, health of the periimplant tissue, and functionality of the implant-retained prostheses.Conclusion: The proposed sequential reconstructive treatment approach for both hard and soft tissues offers a reliable method of implant rehabilitation after traumatic injury.