Preservation of the alveolar ridge with hydroxylapatite tooth root substitutes.

A total of 49 patients, who were followed for 3 to 31 months, have had 92 hydroxylapatite root implants placed in fresh extraction sockets without soft tissue closure. Hydroxylapatite root implants maintain approximately twice as much alveolar bone as the contralateral control sites without implants. It is believed that this method is a more effective and efficient procedure to preserve alveolar bone for retention of dentures than previously described procedures.