Soft tissue grafting at immediate implants: does it protect the buccal plate?

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Periodontology
• Oral Surgery

Background:

• Immediate implant placement is a common procedure.
• Buccal bone preservation is crucial for aesthetic outcomes.
• Soft tissue augmentation is sometimes used to enhance results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of soft tissue augmentation on volumetric buccal bone changes at immediate implant sites.
• To compare subepithelial connective tissue grafting and acellular dermal matrix with no augmentation.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of CBCT and model data from a randomized controlled trial.
• Compared three groups: immediate implant with connective tissue graft, acellular dermal matrix, or no augmentation.
• Assessed 3D volumetric and 2D linear buccal bone changes at 6 months post-placement.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in volumetric buccal bone loss between the three groups at 6 months.
• Mean volumetric bone loss was -14.99 mm³ (connective tissue graft), -13.60 mm³ (acellular dermal matrix), and -12.58 mm³ (control).
• Greatest bone loss occurred in the coronal third; thick bone morphotype correlated with greater loss.

Conclusions:

• Soft tissue augmentation did not significantly reduce buccal bone dimensional loss at immediate implant sites.
• Linear measurements may not fully capture volumetric buccal bone changes.