RECENT ADVANCEMENTS & FUTURE TRENDS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RESIDUAL RIDGE RESORPTION (RRR)-A NARRATIVE REVIEW.

ABSTRACT

The decrease of alveolar bone after tooth extraction is known as residual ridge resorption (RRR), a chronic, persistent, and irreversible process that makes prosthetic rehabilitation difficult for edentulous individuals.  This complex disease has a major impact on denture stability and oral function, especially in the mandible, and is regulated by anatomical, metabolic, mechanical, and prosthetic aspects.  Digital processes with CBCT-guided implant placement (e.g., All-on-4/6 systems), 3D-printed metal bars using Direct Metal Laser Sintering, and sophisticated impression techniques (e.g., neutral zone, admixed) to maximize results in atrophic ridges are recent developments in RRR management.  Resorption rates are further decreased by soft liners, implant-retained overdentures, and pharmaceutical treatments that target the RANKL and Sema4D pathways.  Regenerative dentistry is the main focus of future trends, which will make use of 3D-bioprinted scaffolds containing growth factors and stem cells, stimulus-responsive nanomaterials, and AI-driven prosthetic designs with smart dentures embedded with sensors.  Curative methods are promised by immunomodulatory treatments that target oral barrier osteoclasts and customized methods based on genetic variations.  Through interdisciplinary cooperation, these inventions seek to increase prosthetic functionality, preserve ridges, and solve translational issues.