Autogenous Dentin Shell Grafts Versus Bone Shell Grafts for Alveolar Ridge Reconstruction: A Novel Technique with Preliminary Results of a Prospective Clinical Study

This prospective pilot study presents a novel method using the dentin shell technique for the three-dimensional reconstruction of alveolar bone defects. Autogenous dentin shell (≤ 2 mm) harvested from impacted third molars was fixed at the recipient site as an external barrier. The space between the dentin shell and residual bone was filled with deproteinized bovine bone mineral particles mixed with concentrated growth factor (CGF) pieces. Autogenous bone (gold standard for bone graft) was applied to prepare shell grafts as the control. A total of 13 patients were included in the study and received bone reconstruction with the dentin shell technique (dentin group, n = 7) or bone shell technique (bone group, n = 6), respectively. At 24 weeks postsurgery, cone beam computed tomography results showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding vertical bone gain and vertical and horizontal bone resorption. Histologic and microcomputed tomography analyses revealed significant newly formed bone connecting directly to the resorbed dentin shells. The dentin shell technique restored bone volume successfully without major complications.