Socket Shield Technique Used in Conjunction With Immediate Implant Placement in the Anterior Maxilla: A Case Series

Introduction: Bone remodeling after tooth extraction and immediate implant placement will occur nonetheless and as a result, additional hard and soft tissue augmentations are often necessary to compensate for the loss of alveolar ridge dimension. The socket shield (SS) technique has shown encouraging clinical results in maintaining original ridge morphology, and thus, may be used as an alternative protocol for the conventional immediate implant placement in the esthetic zone.

Case series: The authors report three cases of SS technique used in conjunction with immediate implant placement in an anterior maxilla. The patients were followed for a period of 2 to 6 years, and the evolution of the soft and hard tissue surrounding the implants was documented.

Conclusions: The SS technique produces virtually no change in the hard and soft tissue dimensions with relatively minimal invasive surgical interventions and shorter treatment time.