Supporting data for "Alveolar healing patterns following molar loss: Assessment, prediction and clinical implications in implant rehabilitation"

Placement of dental implants with and without various forms of tissue reconstruction in the molar region is becoming a more common treatment modality for the replacement of missing teeth as a consequence of dental diseases or trauma. However, to date, there is little evidence reporting on the healing patterns and the feasibility of implant placement at molar sites with tooth loss due to terminal periodontitis versus other reasons following unassisted healing. There is also a lack of reporting of local, systemic and surgical variables associated with healing outcomes. This information is crucial for the establishment of the best clinical pathway to manage the extraction of molars. Data will help clinicians predict healing outcomes and form a basis for decisions on the choice of implant, need for intervention and designing interventions to modulate the healing process, aiming to simplify subsequent surgeries for replacement with dental implant. Hence there is a need for a cohort study to demonstrate the potential difference in healing following different reasons for extraction and to assess the ability to place implants in these different healed sites. This is a 3 part study that will systematically investigate the hard and soft tissue dimensional remodelling following molar loss utilizing CBCT and digital scanning technology. The reliability of these technologies in assessing hard and soft tissue will also be investigated. Study results will help clinicians better understand and predict alveolar hard and soft tissue healing outcomes after tooth loss at molar sites that will impact clinical decisions in tooth rehabilitation.

This project consists of 3 main parts:

1. Systematic review of alveolar healing patterns after loss of molar;

2. Retrospective study on the feasibility of implant placement at molar sites with tooth loss due to severe periodontitis;

3. Prospective study on the alveolar healing patterns after extraction of the first molar.