Early alveolar ridge osteogenesis following tooth extraction in the rat.

Following tooth extraction, fluorochrome bone labels were injected intraperitoneally at intervals to identify mineralizing bone surfaces. At 5, 10 and 14 days post-extraction, the rats were killed. The mineral apposition rate, mineralizing surface and mineral formation rate were determined at various locations around the healing tooth socket. Linear trends in mineral apposition rate (p < 0.000001), mineralizing surface (p < 0.000001) and mineral formation rate (p = 0.00008) were seen around the socket, decreasing from gingivopalatal to gingivobuccal regions. These differences may be due to variations in vascularity as the gingivopalatal region is adjacent to the greater palatine artery. The mineral formation rate and mineralizing surface were significantly higher in the rats killed at 14 days after tooth extraction than at the other two post-extraction time points. This may be related to an earlier peak rate of bone resorption.