Evaluation of the use of polypropylene membrane to preserve alveolar volume after extraction: a prospective randomized clinical study

The aim of this study was to measure the linear changes in the alveolus, using cone beam computed tomography images, immediately after extraction and after 120 days using or not the polypropylene membrane. The population of this study consisted of 19 patients from the Faculty of Dentistry of Araçatuba - UNESP, with teeth with indication of anterior or posterior extraction. An acrylic tomographic guide was made, which had three points of gutta percha, located in the center of the alveolus region, in order to locate the tomographic sections. The 30 alveoli were divided into two groups: control group (C), in which tooth and suture extraction was performed and membrane group (B), in which tooth extraction, membrane installation and suture were performed. The CT scans were analyzed in three stages: preoperative, post-immediate (T1) and after 120 days (T2), through the visualization of the coronal sections in the region of the alveoli. Resorption after extraction was evaluated in the vertical and horizontal directions. The average of vertical resorption after 120 days after surgery was 0.652 mm in group C and 0.5145 mm in group M. The average of horizontal resorption was 0.76 mm in group C and 0.45 mm in group M, Student's T test was applied, which showed a statistically significant difference p = 0.021. The use of the polypropylene membrane over the alveoli, immediately after extraction, contributes positively to the maintenance of the resorption of the alveolar ridge.