Assessment of marginal bone loss using full thickness versus partial thickness flaps for alveolar ridge splitting and immediate implant placement in the anterior maxilla

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of maintaining the periosteal attachment of the facial and palatal cortical plates on crestal bone loss that occurs at the margin of dental implants placed immediately in split anterior maxillary alveolar ridges. This was a prospective randomized comparative clinical trial. The study population included 22 patients with edentulous anterior maxillary alveolar ridges who presented for treatment during the period March 2012 to September 2013. The selected patients were divided randomly into two equal groups. All patients underwent a maxillary ridge splitting technique; a total of 43 implants were placed immediately. A full thickness mucoperiosteal flap was performed in the control group patients, while a split thickness mucosal flap was done in the study group patients. Assessments included measurements of the linear changes in the marginal bone surrounding the implants immediately postoperative and after 6 months. Measurements were taken from cross-sectional and longitudinal cone beam computed tomography images using special software. The partial thickness flap used in the study group decreased the percentage of bone loss by 9.5% for the labial bone plate, 7.9% for the palatal bone plate, and 3.5% for the mesiodistal bone plate.