Immediate implant placement combining socket seal abutment and peri-implant socket filling: A prospective case series.

Objectives: The aim of this prospective case series was to assess the implant outcomes as well as hard and soft tissue dimensional changes of immediate implant placement in posterior sites using a custom-made sealing socket abutment (SSA) combined to peri-implant socket filling (PISF).

Material And Methods: Twenty patients were considered for single extraction and immediate implant in upper or lower posterior regions. The remaining peri-implant sockets were filled with Deproteinized Bovine Bone Mineral. Based on intra-oral scans (IOS), custom-made SSAs were placed the same day. Implant survival rate, peri-implant bone changes, peri-implant health and pink esthetic score (PES) were recorded up to 1 year post-implant placement. Moreover, CBCT and IOS were performed to monitor hard and soft tissue dimensional changes.

Results: One implant failed to osseointegrate leading to an implant survival rate of 95% after 1 year. Peri-implant bone changes yielded 0.19 ± 0.31 mm and 84.2% of the implants displayed no or mild bleeding on probing. Horizontal bone remodeling was not significant from baseline to 1 year at any levels. Finally, soft tissue profile was stable in the most cervical area while minor changes occurred during the first 6 months below the gingival margin. The absence of mid-buccal recession (0.07 mm) and good PES were found after 1 year.

Conclusion: Despite its limitations, this study showed that immediate implants in the posterior region using the SSA + PISF protocol resulted in promising implant outcomes with limited hard and soft tissue dimensional changes while decreasing the overall treatment time.