INTRODUCTION: Narrow dentoalveolar ridges remain a challenge for the successful placement of implants; success depends largely on the quality and quantity of the available bone in the recipient site. This however may be compromised or unavailable which necessitates the need to manipulate the residual bone by contouring or making dimensional changes to create an intra-bony cavity to form a receptor site for an implant while preserving bone integrity and viability.
OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the success of dental implants in mandibular narrow ridges (≤ 5mm) after using bone expansion and cortical bone bending technique with a new design of bone expander.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This clinical study was performed on a total of eight patients with mandibular narrow ridges (≤ 5mm). All implants were followed for 6 months. Clinically, each patient was evaluated for pain, tenderness or discomfort, presence of swelling or infection and mobility of the implant. Also, radiographic investigations were performed for the assessment of marginal bone level, bone width and the bone density around the implant. An implant stability and assessment of the osseointegration progress evaluation was conducted using the resonance frequency analysis technique (Osstell) immediately after implant placement and after three months and after six months.
RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in the bone density around the implants throughout the evaluation period and there was increase in implant stability quotient after six months was statistically significant (p=0.008). There were significant decreases in the mean of marginal bone level changes by time in all cases, the increase in bone width quotient after six months was statistically significant p < 0.001.
CONCLUSIONS: using the newly designed star shape bone expanders as a bone expansion and bending technique, showed an adequate clinical and radiographic performance in the mandibular narrow ridges.