Periosteal Inhibition Technique for Alveolar Ridge Preservation as It Applies to Implant Therapy

Alveolar ridge preservation procedures have been shown to significantly reduce the loss of ridge dimension of an extraction socket. As of yet, none of the alveolar ridge preservation techniques have been proven totally effective in preserving ridge morphology. The Periosteal Inhibition technique for alveolar ridge preservation involves placing a high-density polytetrafluoroethylene (d-PTFE) membrane between the periosteum and the buccal bone plate of an extraction socket. The authors hypothesize that the nonresorbable d-PTFE membrane, because of its much smaller pore diameter as compared to the size of the osteoclast precursor cells, inhibits the migration of the osteoclast precursor cells from the periosteum to the bony surface and, subsequently, their fusion to form osteoclasts. As a result, osteolytic activity on the outer surface of the socket is inhibited. The Periosteal Inhibition technique for alveolar ridge preservation is presented along with immediate implant treatment results using this treatment concept. The resulting stable ridge dimensions in these cases demonstrate a possibility that the d-PTFE membrane may effectively prevent modeling of the extraction socket by inhibiting the formation of osteoclasts on the outer bony surface.