Use of a Titanium Mesh "Shelter" Combined with the Soft Tissue Matrix Expansion (Tent Pole) Grafting in the Reconstruction of a Severely Resorbed Edentulous Mandible. Technical Note.

Abstract

Patients wearing complete dentures for a long time usually exhibit lack of bone and keratinized mucosa in the bearing area due to bone resorption. The patients suffering from this phenomenon usually have unstable and non-retentive complete denture, which result in constant trauma to the mucosa, pain, functional limitations and worsening of facial esthetics. An innovative technique has been described in which a novel surgical approach using osseointegrated dental implants as "tent poles" was applied concomitant with particulate autogenous bone graft. The authors claim that the control and maintenance of the surgically expanded soft tissue volume should prevent graft resorption in the long term. Nevertheless, resorption of the bone graft is usually more significant where the bone mass is poorer, in the mandibular body. This paper describes a case of severely resorbed edentulous mandible in which the "tent pole" technique was applied with some modifications. Use of the titanium mesh "shelters" and two additional implants was effective in "protecting" the bone graft in the posterior portion of the mandibular body increasing bone mass volume in this area. Furthermore, we believe that this kind of graft "protection" on the whole residual alveolar ridge can increase the width of bone mass gain optimizing the "tent pole" technique.

Mandibular Reconstruction for Dental Implants with a Variation of Tent Pole Technique: Use of Computer-Aided Planning and Intraoperative Surgical Guide

“…The mesh could prevent resorption of the graft and maintain the shape because of its rigidity. Sverzut et al 16 proposed a different manner of using the titanium mesh, although with the same intention. The authors used two additional implants and titanium mesh "shelters" that were positioned after implants placement, in the posterior portion of the mandibular body, to "protect" the bone graft and increase the bone mass volume in this area.…”