Residual alveolar ridge maintenance with a new endosseous implant material.

In an effort to maintain the height of the residual alveolar ridge, Bioglass cones were placed in fresh sockets after tooth extraction. Today the emphasis is on maintaining the residual alveolar ridge instead of letting it resorb and subsequently resorting to heroic efforts for augmentation. To date, 242 cone implants have been placed in 29 patients. Implant follow-up observation time ranged from 12 to 32 months with an average of 19.9 months. Twenty-seven patients have been fitted with dentures. To date seven implants (2.9%) have been lost. The Bioglass implants appear to be highly biocompatible as evidenced by absence of infection, normal mucosal healing, and radiographic evidence of bone healing around the implants. Evaluation of several implants reexposed surgically revealed new bone in direct contact with the immobile implants circumferentially. The problem of implant dehiscence that started to occur after approximately 10 months in other investigations had not manifested itself in the Bioglass implant patients who have been wearing their dentures for at least 12 months.