Clinical performance of tooth root blocks for alveolar ridge reconstruction

Abstract

This systematic literature review set out to investigate the clinical outcomes of autogenous tooth root blocks used for ridge augmentation: survival rates, block resorption, implant survival, post-surgical complications, and histology findings. This review followed PRISMA guidelines. An automated search was made in four databases, supplemented by a manual search for relevant articles published before December 2020. The quality of evidence provided was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool. Seven articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and underwent analysis. The articles included a total of 136 patients, who received 118 autogenous tooth root blocks and 26 autogenous bone blocks showing block survival rates of 99.15% and 100%, respectively. Tooth root blocks presented a mean bone gain that was similar to autologous bone blocks but showed less resorption. The implant survival rate was 98.32% for autogenous tooth root blocks. Reconstruction of alveolar crests by means of autogenous tooth root blocks appears to be a satisfactory option for single-tooth gaps and low grades of bone atrophy in terms of the survival of the bone block and the implants placed subsequently. More research providing long-term data is needed to confirm these findings.

Keywords: alveolar ridge augmentations; bone transplantation; dental implants; tooth extraction.