Immediate Implant Placement in the Esthetic Zone Using a Novel Tapered Implant Design and a Digital Integrated Workflow: A Case Series.

Abstract

The purpose of this case series was to assess the application of a novel self-cutting, tapered implant (Straumann® BLX, Institut Straumann AG, Basel, Switzerland) in combination with a digital integrated prosthetic workflow for the immediate placement and restoration. Fourteen consecutive patients, requiring replacement of a single hopeless maxillary or mandibular tooth, meeting the clinical and radiographic indication criteria for immediate implant placement, were treated. All cases followed the same digitally-guided procedure of extraction and immediate implant placement. Immediate temporization with full contoured screw-retained provisionals was performed using an integrated digital workflow. After implant placement and dual-zone bone and soft tissue augmentation, connecting geometries and emergence profiles were finalized. The average implant insertion torque was 53.2 ± 14.9 Ncm and ranged between 35 and 80 Ncm, allowing immediate provisional restoration in all cases. Final restorations were delivered three months after implant placement. An implant survival rate of 100% was observed at the 1-year recall after loading. The results of this case series suggest that immediate placement of novel tapered implants and immediate provisionalization using an integrated digital workflow can result in predictable functional and esthetic results for the immediate transition of failing single teeth in the esthetic area.