Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
Experimental Model of Ligature-Induced Peri-Implantitis in Mice
Published on: May 17, 2024
Connective tissue grafts in conjunction with implants installed immediately into extraction sockets. An experimental
Marco Caneva1, Daniele Botticelli, Paolo Viganò
1UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araçatuba Dental School, Aracatuba, Brazil.
Aim:
To evaluate the influence of a sub-epithelial connective tissue graft placed at the buccal aspect of implants installed immediately after tooth extraction on the dimensional changes of hard and soft tissues.
Materials And Methods:
In six Labrador dogs a bilateral partial- thickness dissection was made buccal to the second mandibular premolar. At the lingual aspect, full-thickness flaps were elevated. The teeth were extracted and implants installed immediately into the distal socket. A connective tissue graft was obtained from the palate and applied to the buccal aspect of the test sites, whereas contra-laterally, no graft was applied. The flaps were sutured to allow a non-submerged installation. After 4 months of healing, the animals were sacrificed, ground sections were obtained and histomorphometric analyses were performed.
Results:
After 4 months of healing, all implants were integrated (n = 6). Both at the test and at the control sites bone resorption occurred: 1.6 mm and 2.1 mm, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. The coronal aspect of the peri-implant soft tissue was wider and located more coronally at the test compared with the control sites. The differences were statistically significant.
Conclusions:
The application of a connective tissue graft placed at the buccal aspect of the bony wall at implants installed immediately after tooth extraction yielded a minimal preservation of the hard tissues. The peri-implant mucosa, however, was significantly thicker and more coronally positioned at the test compared with the control sites.
