Soft tissues healing at immediate transmucosal implants placed into molar extraction sites associated with buccal self-contained dehiscences. A 12-month controlled clinical trial.

Aim: To assess soft tissues healing at immediate transmucosal implants placed into molar extraction sites associated with buccal self-contained dehiscences. Study design: 12-month controlled clinical trial. Material and methods: Test subjects received immediate transmucosal implants placed in molar extraction sockets displaying a buccal bone dehiscence with a height and width of ? 3 mm, respectively. Peri-implant marginal defects were treated according to the principles of Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) by means of deproteinized bovine bone mineral particles in conjunction with a bioresrobable collagen membrane. Control subjects received implants in healed molar sites with intact buccal bone walls following tooth extraction. Tapered-effect implants with an endosseous diameter of 4.8 mm and a shoulder diameter of 6.5 mm were placed in both groups. Flaps were repositioned and sutured allowing non-submerged, transmucosal soft tissues healing. Pocket probing depths (PPD) and clinical attachment levels (CAL) were compared between test and control implants at the 12-month follow-up. Results: 30 subjects (16 males and 14 females) were enrolled and followed for 12 months. They contributed with 30 tapered-effect implants. All implants healed uneventfully yielding a survival rate of 100%. At the 12-month follow-up, statistically significant higher (p<0.05) PPD and CAL values were recorded around all aspects of test implants compared with those of control implants. Conclusions: The findings of this controlled clinical trial showed that healing following immediate transmucosal implant placement in molar extraction sites with shallow and wide buccal dehiscences was inferior compared with that of control implants placed in healed bone and resulted in lack of complete osseointegration.