Implant placement without flaps--Part 2: Utilizing a two-stage surgical protocol.

The single-stage punch technique can provide an effective means of seating an implant fixture without necessitating flap elevation. As described in Part 1 of the article, when the implant must be submerged during the healing phase of osseointegration, the single-stage punch technique may be modified to permit the requisite isolation to be achieved. In this procedure, the mucosal tissue is removed with the soft tissue punch and reseated at the ridge site following the placement of the implant. The second part of the article utilizes two case presentations to demonstrate the proper use of the modified single-stage punch technique.