Soft Tissue Healing in Alveolar Socket Preservation Technique: Histologic Evaluations

After tooth extraction, 14 alveolar sockets were grafted with porous bovine bone mineral particles and covered with non-cross-linked collagen membrane (test group), and 14 alveolar sockets were left uncovered. At 5 and 12 weeks, microvascular density (MVD), collagen content, and amount of lymphocytes (Lym) T and B were analyzed in soft tissue. At 5 weeks, MVD was significantly lower and Lym T was significantly higher in tests than in controls (P .05). At 12 weeks no differences were found. Placement of resorbable membrane seems to induce an initial and transient modification of the normal wound healing process of the soft tissue.