Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of autogenous particulate dentin as a bone substitute to maintain dimensional volume in human socket preservation procedures.

Materials and methods: Particulate dentin was used in socket site preservation procedures. The extracted natural tooth was ground to particles 250 to 1,200 μm in size to fill the socket site. At 6 months, during the implant placement stage, hard tissue biopsy specimens were harvested by a 2.5-mm cylindrical trephine bur for the histologic analysis. Histomorphometry was carried out with ImageJ software to calculate direct bone to grafted dentin particles contact, newly formed bone, and particulate dentin area fractions.

Results: Fifteen patients went through the socket preservation procedure using particulate dentin as the grafted bone substitute. De novo bone formation filled the entire grafted area. Newly formed bone was observed throughout the entire grafted area, particularly around the grafted dentin particles. The majority of particles were surrounded by direct contact with newly formed osseous tissue enriched by osteocytes. Newly formed bone ankylosed to particulate dentin and became a solid matrix preserving the ridge dimension. Histomorphometric measurements showed that the new bone formation area fraction was on average 38.4% ± 16.5%, while the residual particulate dentin showed an average of 29.9% ± 14.4%, and 31.7% ± 14.2% was captured by the connective tissue component. Particulate dentin was in direct contact with newly formed bone at an average rate of 69.1% ± 22.8%.

Conclusion: Particulate dentin showed complete biocompatibility and high osteoconduction. Thus, it can be used as an appropriate grafting biomaterial to maintain socket site volume dimensionally for subsequent implant placement procedures.