Objectives: Augmentation of alveolar bone after tooth extraction is important to recover the lost oral function. Statins, therapeutic drugs for hypercholesterolemia, stimulate bone formation by stimulating bone morphogenetic protein 2 expression in osteoblasts. In the present study, to develop a method to augment alveolar ridge after tooth extraction, we applied simvastatin, one of the statins, to the tooth socket. Methods: Male Wistar rats (10 weeks old) were divided into 5 groups. Alpha-tricalcium phosphate (a-tcp) was used as carrier for simvastatin. After extraction of right mandibular incisor, tooth sockets were filled the a-tcp carrier with different density of simvastatin: control (neither carrier nor simvastatin), 0mg (only carrier), 0.25mg, 0.50mg, 1.0mg. Results: At 4 and 8 weeks after tooth extraction, the animals were sacrificed, and then bone mineral contents (BMC) of alveolar ridge were analyzed by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).At 4 and 8 weeks after the extraction, BMC of the alveolar ridge in experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group. Conclusion: These results indicate that local application of simvastatin and a-tcp would be potential to preserve alveolar ridge after the extraction.

Back to the Implantology Research Program
Back to the IADR General Session & Exhibition (June 28 – July 1, 2006)

Top Level Search