HORIZONTAL ALVEOLAR RIDGE EXPANSION IN POSTERIOR ATROPHIC MANDIBLE USING OSSEODENSIFICATION TECHNIQUE (A CLINICAL TRIAL)

BACKGROUND: Narrow ridges can cause difficulties in restoring function by dental implants; many techniques can be used to overcome this problem such as bone grafting and ridge expansion techniques, with ridge expansion being the better, more reliable option. A recent technique that can achieve ridge expansion is osseodensification. Osseodensification using Densah burs is a technique that condenses bone using specially designed burs rotating in an anticlockwise direction, which will help in increasing the ridge width as well as insertion torque of the implant AIM OF THIS STUDY: Clinical and Radiographic evaluation of ridge expansion in posterior atrophic mandible using osseodensification with simultaneous implant placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 12 patients with narrow posterior mandibular ridge with width ≤ 6 mm received implants using osseodensification technique. The amount of ridge expansion, primary and secondary stability at 4 months and marginal bone loss were evaluated at 4 and 8 months. RESULTS: 4 months post-operative bone width was increased by 43.61% and after 8 months bone width was increased by 39.29% in the cervical region and increased by 11.48% at 4 months and 9.89% at 8 months in the middle region and increased by 12.64% at 4 months and 10.57% at 8 months in the apical region. There was also a significant increase in bone density around the implants (p ≤ 0.05) CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study we concluded that osseodensification is a safe and effective way for expanding narrow posterior alveolar ridges, while increasing bone density around the implant which positively affects the primary and secondary stability; without complications such as dehiscences and fractures of the buccal plate of bone.