Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026
Real-Time Dynamic Navigation System for the Precise Quad-Zygomatic Implant Placement in a Patient with a Severely Atrophic Maxilla
Published on: October 18, 2021
Effect of the Buccal Gap Width on Alveolar Process Reduction Following Immediate Implant Placement: A Retrospective
Maurício G Araújo1, Debora R Dias1,2, Ping Wang3
1Department of Dentistry, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil.
Objectives:
To evaluate the effect of the width of the buccal gap on the alveolar process reduction after immediate implant placement (IIP) at maxillary central incisor sites, compared to contralateral pristine tooth sites.
Material And Methods:
Twenty-eight subjects who were treated with IIP to replace a maxillary central incisor and presented a pristine contralateral tooth site were included in this retrospective cohort study. The width of the gap between the implant and the inner walls of the socket was measured and grafted with deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM). Subjects were divided into 2 groups: wide gap: > 2 mm (n = 14); Narrow gap: ≤ 2 mm (n = 14). CBCT scans were obtained after a mean follow-up of 6 (± 4) years and evaluated by a calibrated examiner. Dimensional measurements of the healed alveolar ridge (implant site) and alveolar process (tooth site) were compared between the two groups.
Results:
The Narrow gap group showed significantly greater ridge resorption (41.1% ± 20.2%) in relation to the corresponding pristine tooth sites than the wide gap group (8.5% ± 11%). The width of the alveolar ridge at 3 and 5 mm below the crest and the height of the buccal wall were also significantly reduced in the narrow gap group.
Conclusions:
A buccal gap > 2-mm wide grafted with DBBM after IIP may preserve more than 90% of the dimensions of the alveolar process. Conversely, a grafted narrow gap frequently results in significantly reduced ridge preservation.
