Cha JK, et al. - In this randomized controlled clinical trial, researchers tested whether or not the preservation of the alveolar ridge reduces vertical changes in the posterior maxilla vs spontaneous healing after tooth extraction. For this analysis, 40 subjects with root apices protruding into the maxillary sinus floor were consecutively enrolled requiring extraction of maxillary posterior teeth. The level of the sinus floor remained stable over time (baseline to 6 months) in the test group (−0.14 mm [−0.31, −0.02]) based on radiographic data. The sinus floor level shifted more coronally (−1.16 mm [−1.73, −0.61]) than the test group in the control group. According to findings, alveolar ridge preservation in the posterior maxilla more efficiently maintained the vertical bone height and resulted in less need for sinus augmentation procedures at 6 months vs spontaneous healing.