Comparing Small Buccal Dehiscence Defects Treated With or Without Guided Bone Regeneration: A Subanalysis of an RCT.

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Periodontology
• Regenerative Dentistry

Background:

• Buccal dehiscence defects pose challenges in single-tooth posterior implant placement.
• Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a technique used to augment bone volume.
• Assessing GBR's efficacy in these specific defects is crucial for predictable outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate clinical and radiographic outcomes of single-tooth posterior implants with dehiscence defects.
• To compare outcomes between implants treated with GBR and those with spontaneous healing (SH).
• To analyze soft tissue thickness, bone tissue thickness, and buccal contour.

Main Methods:

• A sub-analysis of a randomized clinical trial involving 16 patients with buccal dehiscence defects (≤ 5mm).
• Implants were randomly assigned to GBR or SH groups, with a transmucosal healing approach.
• Measurements included cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), optical scans, and clinical parameters at restoration delivery and one year.

Main Results:

• No clinically relevant differences in soft tissue thickness or buccal contour between GBR and SH groups.
• Slight bone loss observed in the GBR group (0.25 mm) versus minimal gain in the SH group (0.04 mm) at 1 mm below implant shoulder.
• All peri-implant parameters indicated healthy tissues, with similar patient-reported pain levels.

Conclusions:

• GBR did not yield significantly different buccal contour or radiographic outcomes compared to spontaneous healing for these defects.
• Peri-implant health was comparable between the GBR and SH treatment groups.
• The study suggests GBR may not be essential for achieving favorable outcomes in single-tooth posterior implants with small dehiscence defects.