title: Clinical and histologic outcomes of calcium sulfate in the treatment of postextraction sockets.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this prospective study was to assess the clinical and histologic outcomes obtained with calcium sulfate (CS) used as a filler material in fresh premolar and molar postextraction sockets.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty premolar or molar postextraction sockets were filled with CS. Among the 60 grafted sockets, after 3 months, 50 underwent implant placement and clinical assessment. The removal of a sample core of newly generated intrasocket tissue was performed in 19 sockets. Collected samples were sent for histologic examination. The percentage of vital bone, nonvital bone, residual CS, amorphous material, and connective areas in every sample was calculated and recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty postextraction regenerated sockets that underwent implant placement 3 months after tooth removal were included in this study.A partial postoperative exposition of the graft was observed in 12 of 50 sockets. At the surgical reentry, the augmented extraction sockets were completely filled by a hard material with an adequate alveolar crest in 41 cases. Histologic examination of the cores revealed that 63.16% of the intrasocket tissue was new vital bone, 2.1% was nonvital bone, 4.74% was fibrous tissue, and 30% was amorphous material. No residual CS was identified in bone cores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed that CS is an ideal grafting material. The clinical adequacy aspect of filled sockets at surgical reentry seemed to be indicative of a qualitatively better bone regeneration. Postoperative exposition of graft material after a first intervention seemed to constitute an important risk factor for a worse bone regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maxillofacial Surgery, Head and Neck Department, San Giovanni Battista Hospital and Division of Pathology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruga
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gallesio
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiusa
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boffano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002133:Calcium Sulfate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D020390:Tooth Socket / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D002133:Calcium Sulfate