The healing of surgical defects in alveolar bone produced with ultrasonic instrumentation, chisel, and rotary bur.

A histologic comparison of the effects of an ultrasonic instrument, a low-speed rotary cutting bur, and a surgical chisel, all used with water coolant, on the rate of healing of dog alveolar bone was made. After reflection of a mucoperiosteal flap, each instrument was used to produce a 3 by 3 by 2 mm. defect in buccal alveolar bone, 3 mm. apical to the alveolar crest and directly overlying the root structure of the right premolar teeth. Dogs were killed immediately following flap replacement with sutures and 3, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 90 days later. Histologic examination of the surgical areas revealed that the bur produced the smoothest surface. At day 3, specimens prepared with the chisel and the ultrasonic instrument exhibited areas of cellular organization along surfaces with the defect and the formation of osteoid in adjacent marrow spaces. At day 7, osteoblastic activity was most pronounced in specimens prepared with the chisel and least in those prepared with the bur. The subsequent rate of healing in later periods appeared histologically to be the best with the use of the chisel, followed closely by the use of the ultrasonic instrument, and the slowest with the bur, the order of which is consistent with the over-all microscopic evaluation of the effect of the three instruments.