International Journal of

Environmental Research
and Public Health

Article
Retrospective Study: Lateral Ridge Augmentation Using
Autogenous Dentin: Tooth-Shell Technique vs.
Bone-Shell Technique
Michael Korsch 1,2,3, * and Marco Peichl 1

1 Dental Academy for Continuing Professional Development, Karlsruhe, Lorenzstrasse 7,

76135 Karlsruhe, Germany; [email protected]
2 Clinic of Operative Dentistry, Periodontology and Preventive Dentistry, University Hospital,
Saarland University, Building 73, 66421 Homburg, Germany
3 Private Practice, Center for Implantology and Oral Surgery, Berliner Str. 41, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
* Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +49-721-9181-200; Fax: +49-721-9181-222

Abstract: In the literature, autogenous dentin is considered a possible alternative to bone substitute
materials and autologous bone for certain indications. The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to
use autogenous dentin for lateral ridge augmentation. In the present retrospective study, autogenous
dentin slices were obtained from teeth and used for the reconstruction of lateral ridge defects (tooth-



shell technique (TST): 28 patients (15 females, 13 males) with 34 regions and 38 implants). The

 bone-shell technique (BST) according to Khoury (31 patients (16 females, 15 males) with 32 regions
Citation: Korsch, M.; Peichl, M. and 41 implants) on autogenous bone served as the control. Implants were placed simultaneously in
Retrospective Study: Lateral Ridge both cases. Follow-up was made 3 months after implantation. Target parameters during this period
Augmentation Using Autogenous were clinical complications, horizontal hard tissue loss, osseointegration, and integrity of the buccal
Dentin: Tooth-Shell Technique vs. lamella. The prosthetic restoration with a fixed denture was carried out after 5 months. The total
Bone-Shell Technique. Int. J. Environ. observation period was 5 months. A total of seven complications occurred. Of these, three implants
Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174.
were affected by wound dehiscences (TST: 1, BST: 2) and four by inflammations (TST: 0, BST: 4). There
https://doi.org/10.3390/
were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the total number of complications.
ijerph18063174
One implant with TST exhibited a horizontal hard tissue loss of 1 mm and one with BST of 0.5 mm.
Academic Editors: José
Other implants were not affected by hard tissue loss. There were no significant differences between
Vicente Ríos-Santos, the two groups. Integrity of the buccal lamella was preserved in all implants. All implants were
Mariano Herrero-Climent, completely osseointegrated in TST and BST. All implants could be prosthetically restored with a fixed
Marco Orsini and Chun Hung Chu denture 5 months after augmentation. TST showed results comparable to those of the BST. Dentin
can therefore serve as an alternative material to avoid bone harvesting procedures and thus reduce
Received: 19 February 2021 postoperative discomfort of patients.
Accepted: 15 March 2021
Published: 19 March 2021 Keywords: tooth-shell technique; implant; dentin; bone graft; autogenous

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral

with regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional affil- 1. Introduction
iations.
Autogenous bone is still considered to be the gold standard for the reconstruction
of lateral alveolar ridge deficits due to its excellent osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and
osteogenetic properties [1]. The disadvantage, however, is that in many cases a donor
region is necessary.
Copyright: © 2021 by the authors.
Recent research has focused on dentin as an alternative autogenous grafting material
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
because of its similarity to the bone in organic and inorganic compositions [2–4]. The
This article is an open access article
proportion of inorganic substances in human dentin is approximately 69% and the pro-
distributed under the terms and
portion of organic components is approximately 17.5%. The alveolar bone consists of
conditions of the Creative Commons
approximately 62% inorganic components and 25% organic components. In particular, the
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
organic matrix of dentin and bone mainly consists of type I collagen (~90%) and it contains
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
many noncollagenous structural proteins such as osteocalcin, osteonectin, phosphoprotein,

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063174 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174 2 of 12

and sialoprotein, as well as osteogenetic growth factors—i.e., bone morphogenic proteins

(BMPs), tissue growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) or insulin like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) [5,6].
As in alveolar bone, the inorganic components of dentin are primarily composed of var-
ious calcium phosphates (hydroxyapatite, ß-tricalcium phosphate, octacalcium phosphate,
and amorphous calcium phosphate) [7]. Due to their good osteoconductive properties,
these components are used as alloplastic bone substitute materials. The osteoconductive
and inductive properties of dentin, which can promote bone formation at grafted defect
sites, have been demonstrated in several animals and human clinical studies [4,8–14].
There is significantly less resorption of the graft compared to autogenous bone grafts—
e.g., monocortical bone block grafts from the retromolar region [15–18]. Other outcome
measures based on histological, immunohistochemical, and radiologic evaluations did not
show significant differences between dentin and bone grafts [19,20]. There is histological
evidence that grafts derived from autogenous tooth material are involved in bone remod-
eling processes and allow sufficient osseointegration of dental implants [15,21,22]. Even
though teeth that were in contact with the oral cavity were used for grafting, no increased
inflammation could be observed histologically [16] and there was no increased level of
wound infections or loss of grafts [23].
The tooth-shell technique (TST) used in this study is intended for lateral ridge augmen-
tation [24]. This technique is a modification of the bone-shell technique (BST) described
by Khoury [25]. The bone-shell technique using cortical bone obtained from the linea
obliqua combines the stability of cortical bone grafts with improved osteoconductive prop-
erties. With this technique, a stable scaffold will be created by the thin cortical bone shell,
which is rigidly fixed at a distance. The resulting gap is filled with autogenous bone
particulate. Both the cortical bone shell and the autogenous bone particulates promote the
revascularization and the regeneration of the graft [25]. As a result of the structural and
chemical similarities of dentin and alveolar bone, equally good results can be expected for
the procedure using a dentin shell and particulate dentin. The main difference between
the two techniques is that with dentin grafts, bone harvesting and the possible resulting
donor site morbidity can be avoided. The technique used to prepare the dentin graft is a
commercially available technology consisting of a grinder for particulation of the dentin
and substances for disinfection and demineralization. The advantage of this technology is
that the dentin can be prepared chair-side and is immediately available for grafting. Other
commercially available autogenous tooth-derived grafting materials, e.g., the autogenous
demineralized dentin matrix (ADDM, AutoBT), are based on processing of the dentin
under industrial conditions in a tooth bank. However, this procedure is only available in
certain geographical regions.
The present retrospective study is a proof-of-concept study. This study aimed to
determine whether the use of autogenous dentin is suitable for the reconstruction of lateral
ridge defects. If the technique is suitable for lateral ridge augmentation, postoperative
discomfort could be reduced in the future in cases with teeth that cannot be preserved
compared to bone block augmentation.

2. Materials and Methods

For this proof-of-concept study, cases for lateral ridge augmentation were re-examined
in which autogenous dentin (TST) with simultaneous implantation was used between
1 June 2019 and 31 March 2020. Patients in whom BST with autogenous bone was used
during the same period served as the control group.
In cases in which a tooth suitable for grafting was present (e.g., a non retainable tooth
or an impacted wisdom tooth), the TST was used. In cases with absence of a suitable tooth,
the BST was carried out.
The electronic medical records of the individual patients were used to screen for
potential cases for inclusion in this study. All surgical procedures were carried out by
an experienced oral surgeon (MK). The study protocol was approved by the Institutional
Review Board of the Baden-Württemberg Medical Board (ID: F-2020-068-z). The study was
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174 3 of 12

conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and the EQUATOR
guidelines. The inclusion criteria were defined as described below:
Inclusion criteria:
- age > 18 years;
- alveolar crest augmentation of a lateral bony defect with autogenous dentin (TST) or
autogenous bone (BST);
- lateral alveolar crest defect of at least 4 mm in the region of implant placement prior
to augmentation;
- restauration with a fixed denture is provided;
- edentulous region of maximum two missing teeth.
Exclusion criteria:
- age < 18 years;
- untreated or residual periodontitis;
- uncontrolled diabetes mellitus with HbA1c >7%;
- malignant neoplasm;
- history of bisphosphonates and/or radiotherapy in region of head and neck;
- immunosuppression or immunosuppressant therapy;
- lateral alveolar crest defect of less than 4 mm in the region of implant placement prior
to augmentation;
- restauration of the implant with a removable denture is intended.
In all of the cases (TST and BST), the width of the bucco-palatal bone was measured
with a preoperative cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) before augmentation. At
least 1.5 mm of bone/autogenous dentin should cover the implants on the buccal and
palatal surfaces. The achieved ridge width was a result of the desired implant diameter—a
1.5 mm buccal and 1.5 mm oral lamella of original bone or autogenous bone/dentine graft.
A ridge width of at least 6.8 mm was aimed for when the implant diameter was 3.8 mm.
A gain of hard tissue of at least 4 mm was an augmentation procedure requirement in
all cases.
The patients were divided into the following two groups:
Group 1 (control group)
Bone-shell technique (BST): 31 patients (16 female, 15 male) with 32 regions and 41 implants.
Lateral ridge augmentation was carried out using an autogenous bone graft from the
retromolar area of the mandible. A thin bone slice, which was obtained from the bone
block, was fixed in the region of augmentation with osteosynthesis screws according to
Khoury [25]. The cavity between the bone slice and the original bone was filled with
particulate autogenous bone.
Group 2
Tooth-shell technique (TST): 28 patients (15 female, 13 male) with 34 regions and 38 im-
plants.
Lateral ridge augmentation was carried out using an autogenous dentin slice with
osteosynthesis screws and particulate dentin according to the BST.
The following data were extracted from the electronic medical record:
- demographic data: age and gender;
- data on restoration and data on maintenance therapy;
- complications: loss of graft, loss of implant, dehiscences, infections/inflammations,
nerve injuries;
- implant data: type, length/diameter and region.
The analyzed target parameters were:
- clinical complications;
- peri-implant bone loss;
- osseointegration;
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174 4 of 12

- integrity of the buccal lamella.

2.1. Clinical Complications

All complications concerning the graft or the implant that occurred during the follow-
up period were noted. The loss of the graft either through infection or unexpected massive
resorption and the loss of an implant during the follow-up period were defined as se-
vere complications. Dehiscences, transient nerve injuries and infections/inflammation
of the grafted site were categorized as non-severe complications if the implant was fully
osseointegrated.

2.2. General Surgical Procedures

Perioperative antibiosis (one day pre- and two days postoperatively) with amoxicillin
(750 mg) three times per day was prescribed. For patients with penicillin intolerance,
clindamycin (300 mg) was used. As analgesic Ibuprofen (400 mg) was prescribed and used
as required. For all surgical procedures local anesthesia was performed using articaine
with epinephrine 1:100.000 (Citocartin Sopira® , Heraeus Kulzer GmbH, Hanau, Germany).
For exposure of the defect site a full-thickness flap with a crestal incision and mesial or
distal releasing incision was raised in both treatment groups. The implant bed was prepared
according to the protocol of the implant manufacturer and the implants were inserted at
the hard tissue level. To ensure a sufficient soft-tissue closure without tension, the flap
was mobilized with a periosteal releasing incision. Non resorbable sutures (Supramid®
5/0, Serag Wiessner, Naila, Germany) were used for wound closure. A two-dimensional
radiograph (panoramic X-ray) was taken to assess the surgical procedure.

2.2.1. Surgical Procedure of the BST

In the the BST group, a cortical bone block was harvested from the region of the
posterior mandible (retromolar region/linea obliqua) with the MicroSaw-Kit® (Dentsply
Friadent, Mannheim, Germany) (Figure 1a). Two thin bone slices were obtained by longitu-
dinal splitting of the bone block with a diamond disc (Komet® Gebr. Brasseler, Lemgo, Ger-
many) (Figure 1b,c). One slice was fixed laterally of the alveolar ridge defect with osteosyn-
thesis screws (MicroScrew® -Kit, stoma® Instruments, Tuttlingen, Germany) (Figure 1d,e).
The residual bone was particulated with a bone crusher (stoma® Instruments, Tuttlingen,
Germany). In addition, autogenous bone chips were obtained with a twist drill (Pilot Drill 1,
length 41 mm, Ø 2.2 mm, Straumann Group, Basel, Switzerland) by a screen hole drilling
technique in the posterior mandibular region. The cavity between the fixed bone slice and
the alveolar bone was filled with the mixture of the autogenous bone chips (Figure 1f).
Membranes and/or bone substitute materials were not used for this technique. Wound
closure was achieved as described above.

2.2.2. Clinical Procedure of the TST

Immediately after extraction, the tooth that was intended to be used for augmentation
was cleaned mechanically by removing debris and the periodontal ligament as well as
restorations and root filling material with a coarse diamond bur under water cooling
(Figure 2a). A slice of root dentin of 1–1.5 mm thickness was obtained with a diamond disc
(Frios MicroSaw, Dentsply Sirona Implants, Mannheim, Germany) under water cooling
(Figure 2b). The remaining tooth structure was particulated with a sterile disposable grinder
(Smart Dentin Grinder, Kometa Bio, Creskill, USA) to 300–1200 µm particles (Figure 2c,d).
The dentin shell and the particulate dentin underwent a chemical cleaning procedure by
being placed in a sterile closed dappen dish with a solution of sodium hydroxide (0.5 N,
4 mL) and ethanol (20 Vol.%, 1 mL) (Dentin Cleanser, Kometa Bio, Creskill, NJ, USA) for
10 min. Subsequently, the supernatant was absorbed with sterile gauze and the material
was cleaned additionally for another 3 min by manual shaking in phosphate-buffered
physiological saline solution (Dulbecco’s Phosphat Buffered Saline, Kometa Bio, Creskill,
NJ, USA). A partial demineralization of the dentin for exposure of the collagen fiber
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174 5 of 12

network and release of osteoinductively active growth factors [10] was achieved by placing
the material in a 10% EDTA solution for 3 min (EDTA solution, Kometa Bio, Creskill, NJ,
Figure 1. Clinical procedure USA). Thebone-shell
of the material technique.
obtained was thengraft
(a): The cleaned once more
was harvested with
with a buffered saline
a MicroSaw-Kit ® fromsolution.
the
retromolar
Int. J. Environ. region/linea
Res. Public Then,
obliqua.
Health 2021, it was used immediately for grafting and/or dried at a moderate temperature (below
18, x (b,c): The bone block graft was split into two thin bone slices with a diamond disc. (d,e):
5 of 12
◦ at −18 ◦ screws.
The thin bone slices were 38 fixedC)aton a hotplate
a distance and
from thestored inridge
alveolar a sterile
withvessel
osteosynthesis C until (f):
grafting.
The cavity between
the fixed bone slice and the alveolar ridge was filled with autologous bone chips.

2.2.2. Clinical Procedure of the TST

Immediately after extraction, the tooth that was intended to be used for augmenta-
tion was cleaned mechanically by removing debris and the periodontal ligament as well
as restorations and root filling material with a coarse diamond bur under water cooling
(Figure 2a). A slice of root dentin of 1–1.5 mm thickness was obtained with a diamond
disc (Frios MicroSaw, Dentsply Sirona Implants, Mannheim, Germany) under water cool-
ing (Figure 2b). The remaining tooth structure was particulated with a sterile disposable
grinder (Smart Dentin Grinder, Kometa Bio, Creskill, USA) to 300–1200 μm particles (Fig-
ure 2c,d). The dentin shell and the particulate dentin underwent a chemical cleaning pro-
cedure by being placed in a sterile closed dappen dish with a solution of sodium hydrox-
ide (0.5 N, 4 mL) and ethanol (20 Vol.%, 1 mL) (Dentin Cleanser, Kometa Bio, Creskill, NJ,
USA) for 10 min. Subsequently, the supernatant was absorbed with sterile gauze and the
material was cleaned additionally for another 3 min by manual shaking in phosphate-
buffered physiological saline solution (Dulbecco’s Phosphat Buffered Saline, Kometa Bio,
Creskill, NJ, USA). A partial demineralization of the dentin for exposure of the collagen
Figure1.1.Clinical
Figure procedurefiber
Clinicalprocedure ofofthe
thenetwork and
bone-shell
bone-shell release of(a):
technique.
technique. osteoinductively
(a): Thegraft
The graftwas active growth
washarvested
harvested factors
withaaMicroSaw-Kit
with [10] was
MicroSaw-Kit achieved
®®from
from the by
the
retromolarregion/linea
retromolar placing
region/linea obliqua.
obliqua. (b,c):the
(b,c): The
Thematerial
bone block
bone in agraft
block 10%was
graft EDTA
was splitsolution
split intotwo
into for 3bone
twothin
thin minslices
bone (EDTA
slices with
with solution,
aadiamond
diamond Kometa Bio, Cre-
disc.(d,e):
disc. (d,e):
Thethin
The thinbone
boneslices
sliceswere
were fixed
fixed at at
skill, a distance
a NJ, USA).
distance from
The
from the alveolar
thematerial
alveolar ridge
obtained
ridge withwith
was osteosynthesis
then cleaned
osteosynthesis screws.
once
screws. (f): The
(f):more
The cavity
with
cavity between
a buffered
between the saline
the fixed bone slice and the alveolar
solution. ridge was
Then, it filled
was with
used autologous
immediately
fixed bone slice and the alveolar ridge was filled with autologous bone chips. bone chips.
for grafting and/or dried at a moderate tempera-
ture (below 38 °C) on a hotplate and stored in a sterile vessel at −18 °C until grafting.
2.2.2. Clinical Procedure of the TST
Immediately after extraction, the tooth that was intended to be used for augmenta-
tion was cleaned mechanically by removing debris and the periodontal ligament as well
as restorations and root filling material with a coarse diamond bur under water cooling
(Figure 2a). A slice of root dentin of 1–1.5 mm thickness was obtained with a diamond
disc (Frios MicroSaw, Dentsply Sirona Implants, Mannheim, Germany) under water cool-
ing (Figure 2b). The remaining tooth structure was particulated with a sterile disposable
grinder (Smart Dentin Grinder, Kometa Bio, Creskill, USA) to 300–1200 μm particles (Fig-
ure 2c,d). The dentin shell and the particulate dentin underwent a chemical cleaning pro-
cedurethebyremoval
being placed inand
a sterile closed dappen dish with a solution of sodium hydrox-
Figure2.2.(a):
Figure (a):The
Theillustration
illustrationshows
shows the removal of of
debris
debris foreign
and foreignmaterial, such
material, as
such restorations andand
as restorations rootroot
filling material,
filling mate-
asrial,
wellasaswell
the as
periodontal ide (0.5
ligament, N, 4
from themL) and
root ethanol (20 Vol.%, 1 mL) (Dentin Cleanser, Kometa Bio, Creskill,
shell NJ,
the periodontal ligament, from thesurface with a with
root surface coarse diamond
a coarse bur under
diamond bur water
under cooling. (b): Dentin
water cooling. (b): Dentin
obtained from thefrom
shell obtained root the
dentin USA)
rootwith afor
dentin 10 min.
diamond
with Subsequently,
a cutting
diamond disk. the supernatant
(c): Sterile
cutting disk. disposable wasgrinder
(c): Sterile dentin absorbed
disposable with
(Smart
dentin sterile
Dentin
grinder gauze
Grinder)
(Smart and the
for
Dentin
Grinder)
the for the
particulates ofparticulates material
dentin. (d): of was
dentin. (d):
Particulate cleaned
Particulate
treated additionally
dentin.treated dentin.for another 3 min by manual shaking in phosphate-
buffered physiological saline solution (Dulbecco’s Phosphat Buffered Saline, Kometa Bio,
Creskill,
2.2.3. NJ, USA).
Surgical ProcedureA partial
of thedemineralization
TST of the dentin for exposure of the collagen
fiber network and release of osteoinductively active growth factors [10] was achieved by
For this technique, the dentin slice was fixed laterally to the alveolar crest defect
placing the material in a 10% EDTA solution for 3 min (EDTA solution, Kometa Bio, Cre-
with osteosynthesis screws (Figure 3a) according to the BST. The cavity between the fixed
skill, NJ, USA). The material obtained was then cleaned once more with a buffered saline
dentin slice and the alveolar bone was filled with the crushed autogenous dentin particles
solution. Then, it was used immediately for grafting and/or dried at a moderate tempera-
(Figure 3b). Bone substitute materials were not used. The wound was closed as described
ture (below 38 °C) on a hotplate and stored in a sterile vessel at −18 °C until grafting.
above. For the TST, no bone substitute materials or membranes were used either.

Figure 2. (a): The illustration shows the removal of debris and foreign material, such as restorations and root filling mate-
rial, as well as the periodontal ligament, from the root surface with a coarse diamond bur under water cooling. (b): Dentin
 2.2.3. Surgical Procedure of the TST
For this technique, the dentin slice was fixed laterally to the alveolar crest defect with
osteosynthesis screws (Figure 3a) according to the BST. The cavity between the fixed den-
tin3174
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, slice and the alveolar bone was filled with the crushed autogenous dentin particles 6 of 12
(Figure 3b). Bone substitute materials were not used. The wound was closed as described
above. For the TST, no bone substitute materials or membranes were used either.

Figure3.3.Clinical
Figure Clinicalprocedure
procedureofofthe
thetooth-shell
tooth-shelltechnique.
technique. (a):
(a): Inserted
Inserted implants at the
implants at the site
site of
of tooth
tooth
2525and
andtooth
tooth2626with
withvestibular
vestibularbone
bonemissing.
missing.Dentin
Dentinshell
shellfixed
fixed(blue
(bluearrows)
arrows)with
withosteosynthesis
osteosynthesis
screws
screwstotothe
thevestibular
vestibularaspect
aspectofof
thethe
implant. (b):
implant. The
(b): hollow
The hollowspace created
space between
created betweenthethe
dentin shell
dentin
shell
and and implant
implant waswith
was filled filledparticulate
with particulate
dentin dentin
(green (green arrows).
arrows).

2.2.4.
2.2.4.Implant
ImplantExposure
Exposure
Three
Three monthsafter
months afteraugmentation
augmentationwithwithsimultaneous
simultaneousimplantation,
implantation,all
allimplants
implants(TST
(TST
and BST) were exposed. Peri-implant hard tissue level assessment was performed
and BST) were exposed. Peri-implant hard tissue level assessment was performed by by mea-
suring from the
measuring fromimplant shoulder
the implant to bone/hard
shoulder tissue-implant
to bone/hard contactcontact
tissue-implant with a with
periodontal
a perio-
probe at four locations (mesial, distal, oral and buccal). Implant stability measurement was
dontal probe at four locations (mesial, distal, oral and buccal). Implant stability measure-
carried out by a resonance frequency analysis in all cases (Ostell Idx, W&H, Buermoos,
ment was carried out by a resonance frequency analysis in all cases (Ostell Idx, W&H,
Austria). Implants with an implant stability quotient (ISQ) above 60 were approved for
Buermoos, Austria). Implants with an implant stability quotient (ISQ) above 60 were ap-
prosthetic restoration.
proved for prosthetic restoration.
2.2.5. Radiographic Evaluation
2.2.5. Radiographic Evaluation
At the time of implant exposure (3 months after augmentation), a CBCT was made
At the
to assess the time of implant exposure
osseointegration, the buccal(3 lamella,
months andafterthe
augmentation),
horizontal harda CBCT
tissuewas
loss.made
All
to assess the osseointegration, the buccal lamella, and the horizontal hard
implants were placed at the hard tissue level and the implant surfaces were completely tissue loss. All
implants
covered bywere
nativeplaced
bone at
or the hard
hard tissue
tissue graftlevel and the implant
(autogenous surfaces
dentin or bone). were completely
To evaluate the
covered by native bone or hard tissue graft (autogenous dentin or bone).
horizontal bone loss the CBCTs at the time of implant exposure were analyzed. The hard To evaluate the
horizontal
tissue loss was bone loss theconsidering
assessed CBCTs at the time and
mesial of implant exposure
distal aspects. werethe
Only analyzed. The hard
highest value at
tissue
the lossorwas
mesial assessed
distal marginconsidering
was included mesial
in the and distal aspects.
analyses. Only the
Additionally, the highest
integrityvalue
of theat
the mesial
buccal lamella or distal margin was
was assessed included
using the CBCT in the analyses.
(Figure 4a–d).Additionally,
Possible hardthe integrity
tissue of the
loss with
buccal lamella was assessed using
exposed buccal implant surfaces was noted. the CBCT (Figure 4a–d). Possible hard tissue loss with
exposed buccal implant surfaces was noted.
2.2.6. Osseointegration
Complete osseointegration was defined as:
- no peri-implant bone/hard tissue loss > 1 mm at the four measuring points;
- ISQ-Level > 60;
- implant covered by a radio-opaque structure in CBCT;
- integrity of the buccal lamella preserved in CBCT (no more than 1 mm loss).

2.2.7. Prosthetic Restoration

The prosthetic restoration began four weeks after implant exposure. After a further
4 weeks, the dentures were incorporated, so that the treatment was completed after a total
of 5 months.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174 7 of 12
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, x 7 of 12

Figure4.4.(a):
Figure (a):AAcone-beam
cone-beam computed
computed tomography (CBCT) in the the sagittal
sagittal plane
plane shows
showsan animplant
implant
regio1111with
regio withthethetooth-shell
tooth-shelltechnique
technique (TST)
(TST) at at
thethe time
time of of
thethe implant
implant exposure.
exposure. TheThe integrity
integrity of
of the
the buccal
buccal lamella
lamella is visible.
is visible. TheThe dentin
dentin shellshell
doesdoes
notnot appear
appear to show
to show anyany resorption.
resorption. (b):(b):
TheThe
same
same in
CBCT CBCT in theplane
the axial axial with
planethe
with the implant
implant in region
in region 11 and11another
and another
implantimplant
regionregion
21. Two 21. buccal
Two
buccal dentin shells are clearly visible. (c): This figure shows a CBCT in the sagittal plane of an
dentin shells are clearly visible. (c): This figure shows a CBCT in the sagittal plane of an implant
implant region 12 with BST at the time of implant exposure. At this plane, the complete integrity
region 12 with BST at the time of implant exposure. At this plane, the complete integrity of the buccal
of the buccal lamella can be seen. The bone shell is no longer visible and appears to have under-
lamella can be seen.resorption.
gone replacement The bone shell is nosame
(d): The longer visibleinand
implant theappears
CBCT intothehave undergone
axial plane. Noreplacement
bone shell
resorption.
can be seen.(d): The same implant in the CBCT in the axial plane. No bone shell can be seen.

2.3. Statistical Analyses

2.2.6. Osseointegration
Data were compiled in Excel and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 22 (SPSS Inc.,
Complete osseointegration was defined as:
Chicago, IL, USA) in Windows 7. The statistical methods included cross-tabulations with
- no exact
Fisher’s peri-implant
tests forbone/hard
categoricaltissue
data. loss
Mean> 1values
mm atwere
the four measuring
compared points; t-tests.
by 2-sample
- AllISQ-Level > 60;
evaluations were analyzed at the patient, region and implant levels. For the
- implant
evaluation covered
at the regionbylevel,
a radio-opaque structure
the different regions in CBCT;
were distinguished as follows: grafts
-
were integrity of
assigned to the buccalsextants
different lamella independently
preserved in CBCT (noanother
of one more than 1 mm
(more loss).
than two tooth
widths apart from each other).
2.2.7. Prosthetic Restoration
3. Results
The prosthetic restoration began four weeks after implant exposure. After a further
Between
4 weeks, 1 Januarywere
the dentures 2019 incorporated,
and 31 March 2020,
so thatlateral ridge augmentation
the treatment was performed
was completed after a total
inofa5total of 59 patients (31 females, 28 males) at 66 implant regions (Table 1). Simultaneously
months.
with the TST or BST, a total of 79 implants were inserted. The implant systems used were:
ASTRA TECH Analyses
2.3. Statistical Implant System ™ EV (Astra Tech Implant System, Dentsply Sirona, York,
PA, USA), Nobel Biocare (Nobel Biocare, Kloten, Switzerland), and Conelog (CONELOG® ,
Data were compiled in Excel and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics 22 (SPSS Inc.,
ALTATEC GmbH, Wimsheim, Germany). The mean age at the time of implantation was
Chicago, IL, USA) in Windows 7. The statistical methods included cross-tabulations with
61.2 years (Table 1). There were no significant differences concerning age and gender
Fisher’s exact tests for categorical data. Mean values were compared by 2-sample t-tests.
distribution between the two groups.
All evaluations were analyzed at the patient, region and implant levels. For the eval-
uation at the region level, the different regions were distinguished as follows: grafts were
assigned to different sextants independently of one another (more than two tooth widths
apart from each other).
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174 8 of 12

Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the participating patients at the time of augmentation procedure
with simultaneous implantation.

Study Group Sign.

Baseline Data of
Total BST TST p-Value
Participants
Age (years)
Mean (SD) 61.2 (12.7) 60.4 (13.9) 62.0 (11.4) n.s.
Range 28–82 30–82 28–80
Gender (male)
n (%) 28 of 59 (47) 15 of 31 (48) 13 of 28 (46) n.s.
BST = bone-shell technique; TST = tooth-shell technique.

3.1. Total Number of Complications

The total number of clinical complications was lower in the TST group than in the
BST group but there was no significance at a patient level, region level, and implant
level (Table 2). At the implant level, seven clinical complications (TST: n = 1 vs. BST:
n = 6) occurred. Of these seven complications, three implants were affected by wound
dehiscences and four by inflammations. There were no significant differences between
the two groups in terms of wound dehiscences at all three statistical levels. Only at the
implant level was there significantly more inflammations for the BST. At the patient level
and region level, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms
of inflammations. The wound dehiscences closed completely within after rinsing with
0.2% chlorhexidine-solution and the application of 1% chlorhexidine gel. Only in one case
(BST) of dehiscence was a secondary suturing for sufficient wound closure performed
after rinsing with chlorhexidine. Purulent infections were treated with local incision and
drainage. Irrigations with chlorhexidine solution or sodium hypochlorite were then carried
out daily until there was no longer any secretion. In these cases, an antibiotic was prescribed
(amoxicillin (750 mg) or in case of penicillin intolerance clindamycin (300 mg), three times
per day).

Table 2. Clinical complications at a patient level, region level, and implant level.

Fisher’s Exact Test

Study Group
(2-Sided)
Clinical Complication Total BST TST p-Value
Total severe
complications
n (%) on PL 0 of 59 (0) 0 of 31 (0) 0 of 28 (0) n.s.
n (%) on RL 0 of 66 (0) 0 of 32 (0) 0 of 34 (0) n.s.
n (%) on IL 0 of 79 (0) 0 of 41 (0) 0 of 38 (0) n.s.
Wound dehiscence
n (%) on PL 3 of 59 (5.1) 2 of 31 (6.5) 1 of 28 (3.6) 0.615
n (%) on RL 3 of 66 (4.5) 2 of 32 (6.3) 1 of 34 (2.9) 0.519
n (%) on IL 3 of 79 (3.8) 2 of 41 (4.9) 1 of 38 (2.6) 0.602
Inflammation (pus)
n (%) on PL 3 of 59 (5.1) 3 of 31 (9.7) 0 of 28 (0) 0.091
n (%) on RL 3 of 66 (4.5) 3 of 32 (9.4) 0 of 34 (0) 0.068
n (%) on IL 4 of 79 (5.1) 4 of 41 (9.7) 0 of 38 (0) 0.048
Total complications at
all
n (%) on PL 6 of 59 (10.2) 5 of 31 (16.1) 1 of 28 (3.6) 0.111
n (%) on RL 6 of 66 (9.1) 5 of 32 (15.6) 1 of 34 (2.9) 0.073
n (%) on IL 7 of 79 (8.9) 6 of 41 (14.6) 1 of 38 (2.6) 0.061
BST = bone-shell technique; TST = tooth-shell technique; PL = patient level; RL = region level; IL = implant level.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174 9 of 12

3.1.1. Severe Clinical Complications

After the grafting procedures with simultaneous implant insertion and at the follow-
up 3 months later, there were no severe clinical complications in both groups.

3.1.2. Peri-Implant Tissue Probing

The probing depth did not exceed 0.5 mm for all implants.

3.1.3. ISQ Values

The ISQ value was over 60 for all implants and was in the range of 61–89. The average
ISQ value for BST was 74.7 and for TST this was 73.3. There were no significant differences
between the groups.

3.2. Radiographic Evaluation

At the time of the follow-up, 3 months after augmentation with simultaneous implan-
tation evaluation of the CBCTs showed two cases with horizontal hard tissue loss at the
mesial or distal implant shoulder. One case with TST exhibited a hard tissue loss of 1 mm
and one case with BST of 0.5 mm. There were no significant differences between the two
groups at all three statistical levels. The integrity of the buccal lamella was preserved in all
implants (Figure 4a,d). All implants were completely covered with hard tissue (no more
than 1 mm loss).
In all cases with TST, the dentin shell was clearly visible. In some cases with BST, the
bone shell was not visible in the CBCT or had a partial replacement resorption.

3.3. Osseointegration
Since there was no increased probing depth for any of the implants, the ISQ values
were over 60, the integrity of the buccal lamella was preserved, and all implant surfaces
were covered with hard tissue; all implants were, by definition, completely osseointegrated.

3.4. Prosthetic Restoration

All implants could be prosthetically restored with a fixed denture 5 months after
augmentation. No complications occurred with any of the implants in the period between
implant exposure and final prosthetic restoration.

4. Discussion
In this retrospective study, 28 patients with 34 regions and 38 implants in which the
TST was applied were followed up. The BST according to Khoury served as a control group
(31 patients, 32 regions, and 41 implants). The results showed that with regard to biological
complications, horizontal hard tissue loss, osseointegration, and integrity of the buccal
lamella, TST led to results comparable to those of BST. The use of autogenous dentin in
TST, therefore, appears to be a possible alternative to autogenous bone.
For the reconstruction of alveolar crest defects before implant insertion, there are
several available approaches—for example, guided bone regeneration techniques with the
use of membranes and bone substitute materials such as xenografts or allografts. Many
techniques are limited in terms of reconstructing three-dimensional defects. Autogenous
bone block techniques are still considered to be the gold standard for this application be-
cause of the mechanical stability and the osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and osteogenetic
properties of autogenous transplants [1]. The Khoury BST offers a procedure that allows
even complex alveolar crest defects to be reconstructed with predictable results [25]. In
comparison to other techniques of alveolar ridge reconstruction, BST has a low compli-
cation rate with a high prognosis for success [25–27]. Because of the reasons mentioned
before and the similarity of the BST to TST, we considered the BST to be the ideal control
group. Nevertheless, this technique is associated with possible complications, especially in
the donor region, such as injuries of the inferior alveolar nerve or infections.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174 10 of 12

The tooth-shell technique described in this study is a variation of this technique

using autogenous dentin instead of bone, which avoids bone harvesting procedures from
retromolar mandibula or other donor sites. Recent research has shown that autogenous
dentin shares many similarities with bone in its structural and chemical compositions
and is, therefore, suitable as a bone substitution material with comparable biological
properties and less resorption of the graft [17,18]. Autogenous dentin, however, has been
shown to be involved in the remodeling process of bone and to be successively replaced
by newly formed bone through replacement resorption more homogenously than bone
grafts but leaving some remnants of the tooth material [16]. Partial demineralization of
the dentin, which was performed by a 10% EDTA solution in this study, is able to promote
the replacement resorption and new bone formation due to the exposure of the collagen
network and the release of osteogenic growth factors—e.g., bone morphogenetic proteins.
Completely demineralized dentin, on the other hand, is resorbed faster than new bone can
be formed due to enzymatic degradation of the collagen network [28]. The clear visibility
of the tooth shell in the CBCT image and the bone shell that is partially demarcable suggest
a lower resorption rate for the TST than for the BST.
The lateral alveolar ridge augmentation techniques using autogenous dentin described
in previous clinical studies primarily used the complete tooth root as a graft [17,23]. The
dimension of the root, however, will limit the possible augmentation width. With the
TST, a larger horizontal deficit can be augmented analogously to the BST, according to
Khoury [25]. Furthermore, the particulate dentin in the gap between the tooth shell and
bone defect can be expected to lead to better revascularization and bone regeneration
than solid tooth roots as is described for bone block techniques with the use of particulate
autogenous cortical bone [25].
In the present study, there were no severe complications (loss of graft and/or implant)
with TST and BST. The implant survival rate was 100%. No nerve injuries with persistent
or transient hyp- or paraesthesia caused by the harvesting procedure for BST occurred.
The incidence of complications for both TST and BST are within the range of previous
studies [1,17,18,23,25,26,29,30]. Wound dehiscence occurred in only three cases (BST: two
(4.9%), TST: one (2.6%)). Compared to augmentation with Titan Mesh of up to 30%, the
dehiscence rates in this study are very low [27]. Infections occurred in four cases of BST.
These could all be treated without the loss of augmentation or implants.
A limitation of the present study is the lack of histological results. Both the BST and
TST prevent a biopsy from being obtained in the case of simultaneous implantation. It is
therefore not possible to assess whether the augmentation was integrated by new bone in
TST and BST. The study, therefore, speaks of hard tissue. However, previous studies were
able to demonstrate the integration of autogenous dentin in new bone formation [11,12].
Additionally, replacement resorption of dentin and contact between dentin augmentation
and implant, which is comparable to an autogenous block graft, could be demonstrated
histologically [16,31]. The low peri-implant probing depths during implant exposure and
the radiological results of this study suggest this.
The radiographic at re-entry after 3 months showed a decent horizontal bone loss
in only a few cases. The integrity of the buccal lamella was demonstrated in the CBCT
for all implants. The peri-implant probing depths as well as the radiological results and
the adequate ISQ values suggest osseointegration. Another limitation of the study is that
a CBCT was only performed at the time of implant exposure. Therefore, the extent of
resorption of the augmentation cannot be assessed in the observation period. In the case
of the TST, however, a dentin shell was visible in the CBCT in all cases, while in BST the
bone shell was not visible in some cases or apparently had a partial replacement resorption.
Comparable studies show that the resorption of autogenous dentin is lower than that of
bone [18].
A limitation of the study is the relatively short observation period of 3 months. How-
ever, the proof-of-concept study was able to demonstrate that, using the tooth-shell tech-
nique, implants can be completely osseointegrated if the bone supply is insufficient. Despite
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3174 11 of 12

the limitations of the present study, the tooth-shell technique appears to be an alternative
to bone block transplants. This could lead to avoiding donor regions for bone harvesting
with increased postoperative discomfort in some cases. Further studies with comparative
X-rays, histological examinations, and longer observation periods are recommended.

5. Conclusions
Within its limitations, this retrospective proof-of-concept study revealed that the tooth-
shell technique represents a safe grafting procedure for lateral alveolar ridge augmentation
with predictable results. Due to the avoidance of a second intervention for the harvesting
of autogenous bone, the burden on the patient can be minimized.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, M.K. and M.P.; methodology, M.K. and M.P.; software,
M.K.; validation, M.K.; formal analysis, M.K. and M.P.; investigation, M.K.; resources, M.K.; data
curation, M.K.; writing—original draft preparation, M.K. and M.P.; visualization, M.K.; supervision,
M.K.; project administration, M.K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the
manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: The authors declare that the investigations were carried out
following the rules of the Declaration of Helsinki of 1964 (https://www.wma.net/what-we-do/
medical-ethics/declaration-of-helsinki/) (June 1964) (accessed on 19 March 2021), revised in 2013.
The Ethics Committee of the Institutional Review Board of the Baden-Württemberg Medical Board
reviewed and approved the proposed study (ID: F-2020-068-z) (6 May 2020). Probands were not part
of the study. It was a retrospective study with data collection and anonymous data processing.
Informed Consent Statement: The ethics committee decided that that patients whose data were
collected did not need to be informed.
Data Availability Statement: Data are contained within the article.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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