When a tooth is severely damaged by both infection and bone loss, dentists often need to remove it and rebuild the area before placing a dental implant. Traditional treatment usually requires several complex surgeries to restore bones and gums, which can be time-consuming and uncomfortable for patients. In this report, we describe a simpler, less invasive approach that allows reconstruction of both bone and gingiva after the extraction of a severely damaged tooth. After removing the damaged tooth, the empty socket was filled with a bone substitute material and covered with a thin connective tissue layer taken from the patient's own palate. This layer acted like a natural bandage, protecting the graft and allowing the area to heal without pulling or stretching the gum tissue. Six months later, dental implants were placed and remained stable over a 3-year follow-up period. The patients were pleased with the results and experienced minimal discomfort. This method may offer clinicians a straightforward and patient-friendly option to rebuild bone and gum tissue at the same time in difficult cases, although larger studies are needed to confirm its long-term success.
Palombo et al. (Sun,) studied this question.