Thin Bone Between 2nd and 3rd Molars I

A 35-year-old woman has pericoronitis distal of #32.  The bone between the 2nd and 3rd molars is high, but thin (Fig.1 <).  With incision, buccal trough is created at #32 for elevators so that the 2nd molar is not affected by elevation.  Collagen plug is placed in the socket to prevent dry socket (Fig.2).  The mesial socket is completely ossified (Fig.3 *), while the distal one partially ossified 4 months postop.  The ossification in the distal socket seems to be from coronal to apical (Fig.3 arrow), in contrast to the traditional thinking of apico-coronal.

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Xin Wei, DDS, PhD, MS 1st edition 09/12/2019, last revision 01/27/2020