Management of Severe Dentoalveolar Trauma Following a Motorcycle Accident With Immediate Ridge Preservation and Delayed Implant Rehabilitation: A Case Report
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Severe dentoalveolar trauma resulting from high-energy motorcycle accidents presents significant clinical challenges because of the combined injuries to the teeth, alveolar bone, and surrounding soft tissues and the potential for associated injuries beyond the oral cavity. This case report describes the staged management of a healthy male patient who presented following a motorcycle accident. Clinical and radiographic examinations revealed multiple non-restorable teeth involving the maxillary and mandibular anterior regions, accompanied by traumatic alveolar fractures and associated bone defects. Initial dental management included extraction of the non-restorable teeth, thorough irrigation with sterile saline, conservative debridement of nonviable fractured alveolar bone while preserving viable residual bone, and immediate ridge preservation using a bovine xenograft covered with a resorbable collagen membrane to preserve the alveolar ridge architecture for future implant rehabilitation. The patient received postoperative antibiotic and anti-inflammatory therapy. Given the high-energy mechanism of injury and the possibility of associated injuries beyond the oral cavity, prompt medical evaluation was recommended. Following uneventful healing and adequate maturation of the preserved ridges, dental implants were placed as part of a staged rehabilitation protocol. After the osseointegration period, the patient progressed to the prosthetic phase. Following second stage surgery and peri-implant soft tissue maturation, definitive implant-supported restorations were delivered, restoring esthetics, function, and occlusal relationships. Clinical and radiographic evaluations supported progression through the successive treatment phases, and the patient reported satisfaction with the final functional and esthetic outcome. This case illustrates a staged approach to severe dentoalveolar trauma involving careful assessment of traumatic injuries, preservation of viable alveolar structures, immediate ridge preservation in appropriately selected sites, and delayed implant-supported rehabilitation. In patients presenting after high-energy trauma, clinicians should also recognize the possibility of concomitant injuries and consider prompt medical evaluation before definitive dental management.
Source: Cureus
Author: Norby Rodriguez
Language: English
Subfield: Oral Surgery
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7213558041