Abstract
PURPOSE: Conventional alveoloplasty procedure using manual instruments results in higher resorption of the residual alveolar ridge, which is unsuitable for denture construction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of piezosurgery-assisted alveoloplasty using minimally invasive technique compared to that of the conventional technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a comparative in vivo study. The study sample consisted of 35 edentulous patients with bilateral bony spicules requiring alveoloplasty. The primary outcome variables assessed were time required for alveoloplasty, postoperative pain using visual analogue scale (VAS), and postoperative healing using Landry, Turnbull, and Howley healing index. The differences between the outcome variables were statistically analyzed using paired t-test. RESULTS: The participants consisted of 35 patients (25 men and 10 women; age range: 38-83 years) diagnosed with bilateral bony spicules on the edentulous alveolar ridge. There was a statistically highly significant difference between both groups with respect to the outcome variables such as time required, VAS at 2(nd) day, and healing index at 7(th) day with higher mean of time required (in sec), higher mean of VAS, and lower healing index for conventional group as compared to piezo group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Alveoloplasty done using piezosurgery not only reduces patient's postoperative discomfort but also maintains the alveolar bone integrity by not disturbing the soft-tissue and hard-tissue architecture, allowing faster healing of tissues, which makes the future prosthesis replacement easier.