To evaluate the buccal bone thickness of immediate implant placement with buccal bone augmentation in patients with a thin buccal plate in the esthetic zone.
Eighteen consecutive patients requiring a single tooth replacement in the anterior maxillary zone with a thin plate (< 1 mm) were included and received immediate implant placement with narrow-diameter implants. Patients received buccal bone augmentation (both internal and external socket bone grafting) with deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) and an absorbable membrane. The final restoration was delivered after 8 months. Cone-beam CT scans were performed before surgery (CBCT0), immediately after surgery (CBCT1), at final restoration delivery (CBCT2), and at 1-year follow-up after the final restoration (CBCT3) to evaluate the buccal bone thickness and ridge width. A repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons were applied for statistical analysis of changes within different time points (α = 0.05).
Fifteen of the 18 enrolled patients were available for analysis at the 1-year follow-up after final restoration. The mean buccal bone thickness at 2mm apical to the implant-abutment junction (IAJ-2) were 3.59 mm (range: 3.04-4.58 mm), 2.79 mm (range: 2.25-3.78 mm), and 2.52 mm (range: 1.72-3.36 mm), respectively, at CBCT1, CBCT2, and CBCT3. A statistical significance was observed for buccal bone thickness change between CBCT1 and CBCT2 at IAJ-2 (F = 17.948, P = 0.001). The net gains of the ridge width from CBCT0 to CBCT1, CBCT1 to CBCT2, and CBCT2 to CBCT3 were 1.08 mm, -0.94 mm and -0.04 mm at 4 mm apical to the cementum-enamel junction, respectively. No statistical significance was observed for the change in ridge width from CBCT0 to CBCT3 (F = 10.518, P = 1.000).
Simultaneous buccal bone augmentation may maintain a predictable buccal bone thickness for immediate implant placement in the maxillary anterior sites with a thin buccal plate (< 1 mm) at 1-year follow-up after final restoration. KEY WORDS: esthetic; dental implants; cone-beam computed tomography; bone regeneration;buccal bone thickness This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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