Socket shield technique vs conventional immediate implant placement with immediate temporization. Randomized clinical...

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Oral Surgery
• Periodontology

Background:

• Tooth extraction often leads to alveolar bone resorption and reduced labial bone plate thickness due to compromised blood supply from periodontal ligament loss.
• The socket shield technique was developed to maintain blood supply by preserving the periodontal ligaments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare vertical and horizontal buccal cortical bone plate changes after socket shield technique with immediate temporization versus immediate implant placement with immediate temporization.
• To analyze differences in implant stability and pink esthetic scores between the two techniques.

Main Methods:

• Forty dental implants were placed in the maxillary esthetic zone: 20 using the socket shield technique (study group) and 20 using immediate implant placement (control group), both with immediate temporization.
• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was used for dimensional analysis of labial bone plates at baseline and 6 months postoperatively.
• Implant Stability Quotients (ISQs) and Pink Esthetic Scores (PES) were recorded at placement and 6 months postoperatively.

Main Results:

• The socket shield technique group exhibited significantly less horizontal bone loss (0.15 mm) compared to the control group (0.32 mm).
• Vertical bone loss was also reduced in the study group (0.31 mm) versus the control group (0.7 mm).
• The socket shield technique group showed improved ISQ and PES scores compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• The socket shield technique with immediate temporization is effective in minimizing labial bone loss after tooth extraction.
• Further research is needed to assess the impact of grafting bone defects on further reducing bone loss.