Digitally Planned and Guide-Delivered Provisionalization for Emergence Profile Shaping in the Esthetic Zone: Clinical...

Background/Objectives: Immediate provisionalization in the esthetic zone is a well-documented but technique-sensitive procedure, and the choice of provisional connection geometry, with or without an antirotational index, remains debated. The aim of this retrospective single-arm cohort clinical study was to evaluate the clinical performance of a digitally planned, guide-delivered provisionalization protocol using prefabricated provisional crowns connected to 5-degree Morse taper implants without an antirotational index, with emphasis on emergence profile shaping and peri-implant tissue stability at one year; Methods: Twenty consecutive single-implant cases treated according to the standardized protocol from January 2024 onward and completing at least one year of follow-up after definitive crown delivery by the February 2026 data-lock date were included (19 female, 1 male; mean age 38.1 ± 12.7 years; 18 anterior and 2 premolar sites). All implants were placed with primary insertion torque ≥ 30 N·cm (mean 34.75 ± 2.55 N·cm) and immediately restored with a digitally designed, non-antirotational provisional crown. Primary outcome was provisional retention without major intervention; secondary outcomes included biologic complications, papilla score, marginal bone change at T0-T3 and T3-T4, and buccal contour change (T0 vs. T2 intraoral scan superimposition). Wilson 95% confidence intervals, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used (α = 0.05); Results: Provisional retention without major intervention was 75.0% (15/20; 95% CI 53.1-88.8). Biologic complications were uncommon (bleeding on probing, suppuration, midfacial recession, and chairside adjustment, each 5.0%). Mean total marginal bone loss at one year was 0.37 ± 0.20 mm; mean buccal contour gain was 1.41 ± 0.48 mm. A complete papilla was preserved in 70.0% of cases. Conclusions: Digitally planned, guide-delivered provisionalization on a non-antirotational 5-degree Morse taper interface appears clinically feasible for emergence profile shaping in the esthetic zone, with favorable peri-implant tissue outcomes at one year.