Dimensional changes of soft and hard tissues in the alveolar ridge after tooth extraction: a literature review

Abstract

The objective of this article was to present the dimensional changes that occur in the alveolar ridge after tooth extraction. To this end, using the systematic literature review methodology, a search for scientific productions related to the topic was carried out through the platforms SciELO, PubMed, Periódicos da CAPES and Google Scholar, using the keywords “post-extraction”, “dimensional changes”, “soft and hard tissues” and “alveolar ridge”. The search resulted in a series of national and international articles, which, after filtering by direct relationship with the topic, identified the main results of current scientific literature on the benefits and limitations related to dimensional changes in tissues after tooth extraction. With this, it is concluded that changes that occur in the alveolar ridge after tooth extraction are quite significant, while alveolar preservation is essential, as failure to plan it can result in treatment failure for the patient, causing serious consequences, such as functional and aesthetic order. Finally, knowledge is increasingly being consolidated for the application of different treatments, aiming to mitigate alveolar reabsorption and seek the best way to restore the patient's oral health.