Bone Augmentation With Alloplastic Graft Material in a Patient Under Bisphosphonate Therapy: A Case Report and Literature Review

Cases of relatively safe dental implant treatment in patients with low-volume bisphosphonate (BP) have been gradually reported. Although bone augmentation is commonly used when the bone volume is insufficient for implant placement, the studies and case reports regarding the safety of bone augmentation in patients treated with BP remain insufficient. Herein, we report a case wherein bone augmentation was performed after BP treatment with bone healing realized according to imaging, and we review the literature regarding BP and bone augmentation. A 67-year-old Japanese woman requested implant treatment for a hopeless lower right second molar. She had been taking minodronic acid hydrate (50 mg/4 wk) for 18 months to treat steroid-induced osteoporosis. After obtaining informed consent, tooth extraction and bone augmentation within the extraction socket were performed. The tooth was extracted atraumatically to preserve the surrounding alveolar bone, and the extraction socket was intensely curetted. Subsequently, the socket was filled with carbonate apatite granules and covered with a biodegradable membrane, and the wound was sutured without tension. Although protracted wound healing without any symptoms of infection was observed, the wound healed completely. No clinical symptoms were observed, the color of the mucosa at the site was healthy, and imaging findings at 6 months postoperation indicated that osteogenesis had progressed uneventfully.