Alveolar ridge preservation and whether it lowers the need for sinus floor elevation after upper back tooth extraction

Impact of Alveolar Ridge Preservation on the Potential Need for Sinus Floor Elevation in Posterior Maxillary Implant Sites: A 10-year Retrospective Radiographical Study

This project tries to see if filling the socket after removing upper back teeth reduces the chance you'll need a sinus lift before getting a dental implant.

Quick facts

• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 130 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Saint-Joseph University (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Beirut, Beirut)
• Trial ID: NCT07526129 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This 10-year retrospective radiographic review at Saint Joseph University examines maxillary posterior extraction sites to determine whether alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) changes later need for sinus floor elevation. Periapical radiographs will first classify teeth into four groups by how the root apices relate to the maxillary sinus, and patients are split into ARP (extraction + bony biomaterial) versus unassisted healing groups. CBCT scans taken at least four months after extraction or ARP will be measured for residual bone height and assigned to ABC categories indicating need for lateral, crestal, or no sinus augmentation. The study compares the proportions of sites needing each type of augmentation between groups to see if ARP reduces subsequent sinus lift procedures.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults (≥18) who had extraction of maxillary posterior teeth with either ARP using bony biomaterials or unassisted socket healing and who have CBCT imaging at least four months after extraction are the ideal candidates for inclusion.

Not a fit: Patients with symptomatic periapical radiolucency, acute abscesses, chronic sinus tracts, missing or inadequate post-extraction CBCT imaging, or non-maxillary-posterior sites would not be represented and may not benefit from the findings.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, ARP could reduce how often patients need sinus augmentation before implant placement, lowering additional surgery, time, and cost.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown ARP reduces post-extraction bone loss, but evidence on whether it reliably prevents the need for sinus lift procedures remains limited and mixed.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* • Patients aged ≥18 years.

  * Patients who underwent alveolar ridge preservation after extraction of maxillary posterior teeth, as a test group.
  * Patients who underwent extraction of maxillary posterior teeth with unassisted socket healing without alveolar ridge preservation as a control group.

Exclusion Criteria:

* • The presence of a clinically symptomatic periapical radiolucency, acute abscesses, or chronic sinus tract, that may falsify the classification of posterior maxillary teeth on 2D radiographs.

Where this trial is running

Beirut, Beirut

• Saint Joseph University of Beirut — Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Nadine Chamas, Doctor of Dental Surgery

Conditions: Alveolar Bone Loss, Sinus Floor Augmentation, Sinus Pneumatization, Alveolar Bone Atrophy, Alveolar Ridge Preservation, alveolar bone loss, alveolar process atrophy, extraction