Single Immediate Implant Placement into Anterior Maxillary Sockets with Facial Bone Defects: A 5-Year Retrospective...

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term functional and esthetic effects of immediate implantation combined with guided bone regeneration in patients with labial bone plate defects. Materials and Methods: A total of 46 implants were immediately placed into anterior maxillary fresh sockets with buccal bone defects. Jumping space and the outer side of buccal defects were densely filled with hydroxyapatite bioceramics and covered with biomembrane. CBCT was performed immediately after surgery (T1), 6 months later (T2), and after 5 years (T3). Radiographs were taken at 1 month after surgery (RT1), definitive crown delivery (RT2), and once a year after prosthetic loading (RT3 to RT7) for 5 years. Pink esthetic score (PES) was evaluated at the time of definitive crown delivery (PT1) and at follow-up visits 1, 3, and 5 years (PT2 to PT4) after crown fixation. Results: No implants were lost during the observational period. The labial bone was radiographically reconstructed to acceptable volumes, with an average 2.86-mm horizontal bone and 2.2-mm vertical bone. Significant marginal bone loss occurred within 1 year after delivery of the definitive prosthesis. PES scores did not reveal inferior results at the 5-year follow-up. Conclusion: When other conditions are met for immediate implant placement, small labial plate defects (≤ 5 mm) will not affect the long-term esthetic effect.