Title	Ridge Preservation: Can We Preserve Bone For Implant Placement?
Clinical Question	In a single tooth extraction site where an implant will be placed, is ridge preservation using a bone graft associated with less bone loss compared to extraction without ridge preservation?
Clinical Bottom Line	"Ridge preservation using a bone graft (multiple methods/materials)is effective in decreasing bone loss after an extraction when compared to extraction without ridge preservation," as stated in the abstract. It is also important to note that ridge preservation does not appear to increase success of implant placement or for minimizing failure after placement.
Best Evidence
PubMed ID Author / Year Patient Group Study type (level of evidence) 19885449 Darby/2009 Multiple studies involved Systematic Review Key results “Ridge preservation procedures are effective in limiting horizontal and vertical ridge alterations in post extraction sites.” <br>"There is no indication that different methods/materials for ridge preservation are more effective than others." <br>”There is also no conclusive evidence that ridge preservation procedures improve the ability to place implants.”
Evidence Search	Tooth Extraction AND Alveolar ridge AND Human AND Implant with the limit of Systematic Reviews
Comments on The Evidence	The authors performed a MEDLINE/PubMed search for randomized control trials, control trials, and prospective/retrospective studies with a minimum of five patients to include in their review, ultimately finding 37 human studies that were included in the review.
Applicability	These findings are important for cases where there is uncertainty on whether enough vertical or horizontal bone will remain after an extraction for an implant placement. By no means however does it suggest that a ridge preservation is recommended for all cases in which an implant will be placed post extraction.
Specialty	(General Dentistry) (Oral Surgery) (Periodontics) (Prosthodontics) (Restorative Dentistry)
Keywords	Ridge preservation, extraction, implant
ID#	2059
Date of submission	05/23/2011
E-mail	hendersonw@livemail.uthscsa.edu
Author	W. Kelly Henderson
Co-author(s)
Co-author(s) e-mail
Faculty mentor	Erica Teixeira, DDS, PhD
Faculty mentor e-mail	TeixeiraE@uthscsa.edu
Basic Science Rationale (Mechanisms that may account for and/or explain the clinical question, i.e. is the answer to the clinical question consistent with basic biological, physical and/or behavioral science principles, laws and research?) None available
Comments and Evidence-Based Updates on the CAT (FOR PRACTICING DENTISTS', FACULTY, RESIDENTS and/or STUDENTS COMMENTS ON PUBLISHED CATs) by Olivia Britton & Joshua Mijares (San Antonio, TX) on 12/01/2017 A PubMed search conducted November 2017 revealed a more recent review that concluded that it was impossible to completely prevent bone resorption, and that stable and long-term esthetics could be achieved by combining connective tissue and free gingival grafts (Masaki/2015, PMID #26022542). This is lower-level evidence (a narrative review) that does not change the answer to the clinical question.