New Operative Protocol for Immediate Post-Extraction Implant in Lower-First-Molar Region with Rex-Blade Implants: A Case Series with 18 Months of Follow-Up

Abstract

In this manuscript, the authors propose a new technique for inserting implants immediately into the sockets corresponding to the lower first molars and, in any case, in the sockets in which the alveolar septum is still present. Immediate post-extraction implants are a widely discussed topic in the literature. Most authors currently consider the insertion of implants immediately after extraction less useful in terms of the procedure’s questionable benefits in maintaining the height of the alveolar bone and more useful in terms of lessening patients’ discomfort. Due to the anatomy of the post-extraction socket and its traditionally cylindrical geometry, this procedure is not always possible.: Next-generation REX-type blade implants were used via their insertion into the septum accompanied by a cortical lamina for periosteal inhibition without filling any of the alveoli.: In the 20 patients treated, the REX implant proved to be stable and surrounded by newly formed bone at the 18-month follow-up. This simple, easily employable technique allows an implant to be inserted immediately after extraction and in the same surgical session, with good patient compliance and good preservation of the alveolus due to the facilitation of periosteal inhibition. The excellent clinical results obtained with the use of a blade implant in the posterior sectors suggest that it is possible to reduce surgical sessions even in conditions of post-extraction sockets whose septum alone can ensure the primary stability essential for osseointegration. The use of a larger number of patients will also provide us with significant statistical results in support of this preliminary clinical work. New clinical studies are needed to understand the true potential of this method for application in daily clinical practice.