Pre-Prosthetic Surgery: A Review

Abstract

In cases where teeth are missing or merely partially missing, oral tissues have to be surgically prepared to receive a prosthetic rehabilitation process referred to as pre-prosthetic surgery. This progressive and irreversible loss of alveolar bone following the loss of teeth results in the inefficiency of hard and soft tissues, which consequently result in the failure of the retention, stability, and comfort of prostheses. This review follows the historical evolution and clinical justification of pre-prosthetic surgery interventions - starting with ancient methods of alveoloplasty and current methods of vestibuloplasty, ridge augmentation, torus removal, frenectomy, and tissue engineering. The literature confirms that while dental implants have modified the scope of pre-prosthetic procedures, the foundational surgical techniques remain indispensable for a significant proportion of patients requiring conventional or implant-supported prostheses.