Immediate single tooth replacement with subepithelial connective tissue graft using platform switching implants: a...

This case series evaluated the facial gingival stability following single immediate tooth replacement in conjunction with subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG). Implant success rate and peri-implant tissue response were also reported. Ten patients (6 male, 4 female), with a mean age of 52.1 (range = 22.7 to 67.1) years, underwent immediate implant placement and provisionalization with SCTG and were evaluated clinically and radiographically at presurgery (T0), at the time of immediate tooth replacement and SCTG (T1), and 3 months (T2), 6 months (T3), and 12 months (T4) after surgery. Data were analyzed using the Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests at the significance level of α = .05. At 1 year, 9 of 10 implants remained osseointegrated with the overall mean marginal bone change of -0.31 mm and a mean facial gingival level change of -0.05 mm. The modified plaque index scores showed that patients were able to maintain a good level of hygiene throughout the study. The papilla index score indicated that at T4, more than 50% of the papilla fill was observed in 89% of all sites. When proper 3-dimensional implant position is achieved and bone graft is placed into the implant-socket gap, favorable success rate and peri-implant tissue response of platform switching implants can be achieved following immediate tooth replacement in conjunction with subepithelial connective tissue graft.