Self-Controlled Study Of Personalized Titanium Mesh And Absorbable Membrane

This self-controlled study evaluates the clinical outcomes of guided bone regeneration (GBR) using a customized titanium mesh versus a conventional absorbable collagen membrane in bilateral maxillary anterior aesthetic zones. A patient with bilateral missing canines (left: 2.21 mm, right: 3.82 mm buccal bone width) received personalized titanium mesh-GBR on the severely deficient left side and conventional GBR on the right. Comparative parameters included preoperative anxiety levels (assessed via cognitive-behavioral evaluation), surgical design/operating time, postoperative pain, wound healing, accuracy of bone augmentation, complications, and CBCT-measured horizontal bone gain (Δ1) at 3/6/12 months. Preoperatively, anxiety was moderate for personalized titanium mesh GBR and mild for conventional. Personalized titanium mesh preparation required additional time. Intraoperatively, personalized titanium mesh placement took 40 minutes longer with greater complexity. Postoperatively, personalized titanium mesh GBR caused higher pain scores and minor mesh exposure at 3 months without infection. CBCT revealed superior horizontal bone gain (Δ1) with personalized titanium mesh (5.2 mm, 5.1 mm, 4.9 mm, 4.9 mm) versus collagen membrane (3.0 mm, 2.0 mm, 1.4 mm, 1.2 mm) at immediate, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Personalized titanium mesh GBR achieves superior bone augmentation through precise design and space maintenance but entails higher preoperative anxiety, technical complexity, postoperative discomfort, and mesh exposure risks compared to conventional GBR. Future research should optimize patient-centered protocols balancing efficacy, technical sensitivity, minimally invasive approaches, and cognitive-behavioral support for severe bone defects.