An inevitable loss of soft and hard tissue after tooth extraction often results in a compromised site for anterior implant esthetics in both vertical and horizontal dimensions. Immediate implant placement and provisionalization has been a viable option for replacing failing maxillary anterior teeth as it preserves the vertical existing osseous and gingival architecture. With the simultaneous addition of soft- and hard-tissue grafts, the peri-implant horizontal tissue topography can also be maintained. The esthetic success of immediate implant placement and provisionalization procedures is influenced by a number of factors that can be identified as patient-dependent or clinician-dependent. This article describes in detail the process of patient selection, indications, contraindications, diagnosis, treatment planning and treatment execution required to achieve functional and esthetic success with immediate implant placement and provisionalization.

Introduction. Maxillary sinus surgery is a reliable and predictable treatment option for the prosthetic rehabilitation of the atrophic maxilla. Nevertheless, these interventions are not riskless of postoperative complications with respect to implant positioning in pristine bone. Aim. The aim of this paper is to report the results of a clinical consensus of experts (periodontists, implantologists, maxillofacial surgeons, ENT, and microbiology specialists) on several clinical questions and to give clinical recommendations on how to prevent, diagnose, and treat postoperative infections. Materials and Methods. A panel of experts in different fields of dentistry and medicine, after having reviewed the available literature on the topic and taking into account their long-standing clinical experience, gave their response to a series of clinical questions and reached a consensus. Results and Conclusion. The incidence of postop infections is relatively low (2%–5.6%). A multidisciplinary approach is advisable. A list of clinical recommendation are given.

PurposeThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the healing of post-extraction sockets following alveolar ridge preservation clinically, radiologically, and histologically.MethodsOverall, 7 extraction sockets in 7 patients were grafted with demineralised bovine bone mineral and covered with a porcine-derived non-crosslinked collagen matrix (CM). Soft tissue healing was clinically evaluated on the basis of a specific healing index. Horizontal and vertical ridge dimensional changes were assessed clinically and radiographically at baseline and 6 months after implant placement. For histological and histomorphometric analysis, bone biopsies were harvested from the augmented sites during implant surgery 6 months after the socket preservation procedure.ResultsClinically, healing proceeded uneventfully in all the sockets. A trend towards reduced horizontal and vertical socket dimensions was observed from baseline to the final examination. The mean width and height of resorption were 1.21 mm (P=0.005) and 0.46 mm (P=0.004), respectively. Histologically, residual xenograft particles (31.97%±3.52%) were surrounded by either newly formed bone (16.02%±7.06%) or connective tissue (50.67%±8.42%) without fibrous encapsulation. The CM underwent a physiological substitution process in favour of well-vascularised collagen-rich connective tissue.ConclusionsSocket preservation using demineralised bovine bone mineral in combination with CM provided stable dimensional changes of the alveolar ridge associated with good re-epithelialisation of the soft tissues during a 6-month healing period.