Replacement therapy and the immediate post-extraction dental implant.

Immediate postextraction implant placement often deals with two major problems: maintaining the initial stability of the implant(s) and preventing soft tissue ingrowth during the healing period. Both problems may lead to the loss of the implant(s). The objective of this clinical study was to evaluate the effectiveness, reliability, and placement of single-stage implants in extraction sockets in combination with a synthetic bone substitute. Hopeless teeth were extracted and one-stage cylindrical screw implants, hollow and solid, were inserted together with a composite polymer without using a membrane. Rehabilitation was performed three to six months postoperatively by placement of different types of prostheses. Excellent initial results were confirmed by the follow-up of 7 to 10 years. The hollow screw-type showed a higher failure rate when compared with the solid screw-type. One-stage implant osseointegration in extraction sockets is enhanced if used with this synthetic graft material, and the simplicity of the method does not jeopardize outcome and predictability. It provides the patient with the benefits of implant-supported restorations in a simple, quick, cost-effective, and secure manner.