Immediate Tooth Replacement Therapy in Postextraction Sockets: A Comparative Prospective Study on the Effect of...

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Periodontology
• Oral Surgery

Background:

• Immediate tooth replacement therapy (ITRT) offers esthetic and soft tissue stability benefits.
• Uniaxial implants in the anterior maxilla pose challenges for socket perforation and restorative angles.
• Subcrestal angle correction (SAC) implants with variable platform switching (VPS) aim to improve restorative outcomes and soft tissue management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of SAC with VPS implants versus conventional platform-switched (PS) implants in ITRT for maxillary anterior postextraction sockets.
• To evaluate the impact of SAC/VPS implants on ridge dimension stability and peri-implant soft tissue thickness.
• To assess the influence of periodontal phenotype on these outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 29 patients undergoing ITRT in maxillary anterior postextraction sockets.
• Placement of either SAC/VPS or conventional PS implants.
• Measurement of ridge dimensions and peri-implant soft tissue thickness, compared to contralateral natural teeth.

Main Results:

• SAC/VPS implants demonstrated a statistically significant greater increase in buccal soft tissue thickness (3.12 mm) compared to PS implants (2.39 mm) (P = .05).
• The observed increase in soft tissue thickness with SAC/VPS was independent of the patient's periodontal phenotype.
• No significant difference was noted in ridge dimension stability between the two implant types.

Conclusions:

• SAC/VPS implants enhance peri-implant soft tissue thickness following ITRT in the maxillary anterior region.
• This macrodesign feature may help minimize soft tissue recession, improving esthetic outcomes.
• SAC/VPS implants represent a promising advancement for immediate implant placement in challenging anatomical locations.