Management of peri-implant soft tissues between tooth and adjacent immediate implant placed into fresh extraction single socket: a one-year prospective study on two different types of implant-abutment connection design.

AIM

This prospective study has been designed to evaluate the correlation between the presence/absence of the interproximal papilla and the mesio-distal and corono-apical position single-tooth replacement implants inserted immediately following tooth extraction. These distances have been evaluated measuring the horizontal distance between the implant and the adjacent tooth (implant tooth distance, ITD) and the vertical distance between the contact point and the coronal margin of the interproximal bone (contact point-bone distance, CPB).

METHODS

Fifty implants (25 Astratech® straight and 25 Straumann®) immediately placed after tooth extraction in highly aesthetic areas have been evaluated by means of clinical and radiographic evaluation. Gingival index (GI) and the presence/absence of the interproximal papilla were clinically measured. A computerized analysis was performed to determine ITD and CPB values after converting perioapical radiographs to digitalized images. were performed to determine: the effect of ITD and CPB on the presence or absence of the interproximal papilla was studied by statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The gingival index was 0 in 97% of the areas and 1 in 3%. When ITD was 2.5 to 4 mm, the interproximal papilla was significantly present (P<0.05). CPB of 3 to 5 mm was related (P<0.05) to the papilla presence if ITD was 2.5 to 4 mm, and this finding was valid for Astratech implants only.

CONCLUSION

The horizontal distance of 2.5 to 4 mm between an implant and the adjacent tooth is significantly associated to a full interproximal papilla.