Abstract:
Aim It is not easy to maintain natural aesthetic
appearance of implant-supported restorations in
the esthetic zone. Immediate dental implant is a
predictable solution in terms of decreased patient
morbidity, in addition to the fact that it acts as
socket preservation. The aim of the present study
was to evaluate the esthetic outcome and stability of
gingival tissue and crestal bone level over immediate
implants using connective tissue graft (CTG).
Materials and methods 16 patients with a single
non-restorable tooth in the aesthetic zone were
randomly assigned to either receiving immediate
implant alone or immediate implant with CTG with
a six-month follow-up. Tissue biotype, width of
keratinized tissue (WKT), crestal bone level (CBL)
were measured at baseline and after 6 months, Pink
Esthetic Score (PES) was measured at 8 months in
addition to patient satisfaction.
Results Immediate implant with CTG had a statistically
significant higher effect on PES (P=0.004), WKT
(P=0.001) and tissue biotype (p=0.002) outcomes;
while a statistically non-significant difference was
found in CBL (P=0.619). No difference was found
between groups with respect to patient satisfaction.
Conclusion Immediate implant in combination
with CTG showed better aesthetics with natural
appearance resembling natural teeth. PES, tissue
biotype and WKT were significantly higher with CTG
compared with immediate implant alone. CBL was
more preserved when using CTG with immediate
implants.
