JCP Digest 100: When and how should implants be placed with soft-tissue grafting?

The one hundredth issue of the EFP’s research summary JCP Digest considers the timing of implant placement and the type of soft-tissue graft used to improve aesthetic outcomes in terms of changes to the profile of the alveolar ridge.

Pre-clinical research involving dogs,  summarised as JCP Digest 100, compared various protocols: immediate implant placement, early implant placement, delayed implant placement following alveolar ridge preservation (ARP), and the use of alternative procedures for soft-tissue augmentation – connective tissue graft (CTG) and volume-stable collagen matrix (VCMX).

Researchers found that ARP and delayed placement with CTG led to the smallest tissue change between pre-extraction and the end of the study compared to the other treatment modalities, although the differences were not statistically significant.

They also found that both CTG and VCMX enhanced the overall tissue contour at the implant sites when applied to early placement or delayed placement with ARP.

The authors said that after this pilot, pre-clinical study, large clinical trials were needed to determine the most favourable timing for implant placement and the preferred soft-tissue grafting modality for achieving the optimal tissue profile.

The research was summarised for JCP Digest by postgraduate students at the EFP-accredited programme in periodontology at the University of Hong Kong.

READ JCP DIGEST 100