Peri-implant tissue management after immediate implant placement using a customized healing abutment.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The unavoidable extraction of teeth in the esthetic area can be overcome through different treatment modalities. Recently, immediate implants appeared as a minimally invasive approach to resolving these cases; however, immediate implant loading is not always possible or indicated. In these cases, an innovative approach through customized healing abutments could be used to preserve the soft tissue contour, eliminating the need for reopening surgery and the use of provisional restorations to condition the mucosal contour. CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS The present cases describe a simplified chairside approach to use customized healing abutments for immediate implants placed after tooth extraction in the anterior and posterior areas in order to maintain the soft tissue contours while reducing the clinical steps until delivering the final restorations. CONCLUSIONS: This technique seems to be effective to guide the soft tissue healing around dental implants allowing a natural emergence profile with implant-supported restorations, reducing the number of treatment steps. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The use of customized healing abutments prepares soft tissue for the prosthetic stage preserving its contours and eliminating the need for reopening surgery.