Immediate one-stage postextraction implant: a human clinical and histologic case report

The placement of an implant immediately after tooth extraction may have the following advantages: reduction in morbidity, treatment time, and treatment costs; preservation of the residual ridge width and height; optimal esthetic result; and easier definition of implant position. The aim of the present study was the presentation of a human clinical and histologic report involving a nonsubmerged implant placed in a mandibular postextraction site and removed because of persistent pain. At low-power magnification, it was possible to see that newly formed bone with wide osteocyte lacunae was present around the implant. A 1.5-mm sulcular epithelium was visible on one side of the implant, with a 0.5-mm epithelial attachment. The thickness of the supracrestal connective tissue was 3.2 mm. This connective tissue was dense, had few cells, was well vascularized, and showed no evidence of an inflammatory infiltrate. Under polarized light, it was possible to observe that the connective fibers were arranged perpendicular to the implant surface and that these fibers became parallel near the implant. These results show that human immediate postextraction implants can have a high percentage of bone-implant contact.