The importance of the 'magic square' in immediate implant placement and provisionalization in postextraction sites.

With changing expectations for dental treatment, esthetics have become an essential factor in defining successful rehabilitation with dental implants. The stability of the gingival contours as well as the color and texture of the surrounding tissue are critical for the long-term maintenance of successful implant treatment outcomes. The aim of the present article is to demonstrate the correlation of the 3D implant position and the adjacent tissue management protocol with the long-term maintenance of immediate implant placement results in postextraction sites. A series of 12 cases with a mean follow-up of 21.91 months is presented to introduce the concept of the 'magic square' (MS), denoting the area formed in the cervical implant region when the ideal 3D implant position is achieved. This position is 3-mm coronoapical from the implant platform to the gingival margin, with the maintenance of a 3-mm vestibulopalatine thickness of the buccal bone (ie, hard tissue gap from the buccal implant surface to the outer portion of the buccal bone wall), and a ≥ 3-mm soft tissue gap at the cervical portion of the implant. The achievement of the MS promotes soft tissue growth and the formation of a thicker peri-implant bone ridge, and ensures the stability of treatment outcomes over time.

Clinical, Tomographic, and Histologic Evaluation of an Autogenous Bone Graft Harvested from the Maxillary Tuberosity for Guided Bone Regeneration: Case Report with a 4-Year Follow-up.

This report presents a case in which autogenous bone grafts were harvested from the maxillary tuberosity for guided bone regeneration and dental implant placement, with long-term follow-ups and assessment at the clinical, tomographic, and histologic levels. Particulate and block autogenous bone grafts were covered with a resorbable collagen membrane. Advanced bone remodeling and good bone quality, enabling dental implant placement, were observed after a short healing time (3 months). The differences in buccal bone plate thickness in the grafted area between the period immediately after implant placement and 4 years thereafter ranged from +0.879 mm to -0.001 mm. The implants osseointegrated uneventfully, and alveolar bone regeneration remained stable with a satisfactory result after 4 years.

Use of the Immediate Dentoalveolar Restoration Technique Combined with Osseodensification in Periodontally Compromised Extraction Sites.

This article describes the combined use of the immediate dentoalveolar restoration (IDR) technique and the osseodensification implant site preparation method to improve immediate implant primary stability in periodontally compromised extraction sites. Positioning of soft and hard tissues was evaluated in two clinical cases in which the IDR technique and the osseodensification implant site preparation method were used to replace teeth at sites with severe alveolar bone loss. The results were analyzed by clinical assessment, photography, radiography, and computed tomography scans. Based on this preliminary study, the use of osseodensification can enhance the results achieved using the IDR technique due to improved primary implant stability, as measured by higher insertion torque.