Impact of soft tissue graft on the preservation of compromised sockets: a randomized controlled clinical pilot study

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of the association of free gingival graft (FGG) or collagen-matrix xenograft (CMX) to deproteinized bovine bone graft (DBBG) on the preservation of post-extraction sockets with facial-wall defects. Sixteen patients who presented a maxillary tooth with a facial bone defect and indication of extraction were selected. After the surgical procedure, all the post-extraction sockets were filled with DBBG and covered with a collagen membrane. The cervical part of the socket was then sealed with either FGG or CMX. Clinical and tomographic analyses were performed at baseline and 4 months after the grafting procedure. The FGG sockets showed higher values for the width of the bone ridge than the CMX sockets at 4 months. There was no difference regarding biopsy composition. In conclusion, regardless of the type of soft tissue graft used, socket preservation with DBBG at sites presenting facial bone defects enabled implant placement without further guided bone regeneration, whether the sockets were sealed with FGG or CMX.