Immediate implantation of a pure titanium implant into an extraction socket: report of a pilot procedure

The conventional osseointegration protocol calls for waiting up to 12 months for ossification of an extraction socket to heal before placing an endosseous implant. In this study the possibility of placing a pure titanium implant directly into an extraction socket immediately after extraction was investigated. A pure titanium Nobelpharma 10-mm implant was placed into a central incisor extraction socket of a stump-tailed monkey and allowed to heal for a period of 6 months, followed by functional loading of the implant. The implant was osseointegrated on a clinical and histological level. This pilot study suggests that pure titanium implants have the potential to integrate when placed immediately after extraction of the teeth and warrants further investigation.