Abstract

After a tooth extraction both hard and soft tissues undergo dimensional changes. The use of a ridge preservation technique at the moment of the tooth extraction could help could help to prevent the volume loss, thus simplifying the subsequent prosthetic and/or implant therapy. Some studies were conducted in order to examine the biomaterials and the surgical technique used for ridge preservation procedures. Clinical, histological, volumetric and molecular outcomes were registered and analyzed in different studies, in order to comprehend the biological events and the consequences of a socket preservation procedure and to allow the clinician to make the correct choice.

Keywords: Tooth extraction, socket preservation, post-extraction socket healing, bone augmentation, xenograft, membrane.