Restoration of Labial Under-Cuts of Mandibular Alveolar Ridges with Synthetic Collagen

Authors: B. Cem ŞENER, Muzaffer TUNCER

Abstract: The irregularities of bone in the labio-lingual area can produce under-cuts on the labial side of the crests that make the production and use of suitable removable prostheses extremely diffucult. Although this problem can be eliminated with alveolotomy of the over-contoured labial alveolar bone, this type of alveoloplasty causes bone loss at the alveolar crests, which is not desirable for a prosthetic restoration. The goal of this study was to develop an alternative treatment method that would achieve a remodeling by placing synthetic collagen in the under-cut area. Fourty edentulous patients with a labial balcony in the mandibular anterior region were selected for this study. In 20 of the patients, the of bony irregularities were removed surgically with a simple alveolotomy. In the other 20 cases, collagen was placed in the under-cut area to obtain bone apposition. A six-month follow-up revealed that, bone loss (-2mm) had occurred in the equator region of the alveoloplasty group, while bone apposition had occurred(+1.5mm) in the under-cut area of the collagen group. Thus, with this new approach, a better quantity and form of denture substructure can be obtained than is available from the simple alveoloplasty method. Given that collagen sheets are used anyway for local hemostasis, this method emerges as a more convenicht and satisfactory solution for those patients who have hemorragic tendencies.

Keywords: alveoloplasty, collagen, preprosthetic, oral surgery