Single-tooth Morse taper connection implants placed in fresh extraction sockets of the anterior maxilla: an aesthetic evaluation.

Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the aesthetic outcome of single-tooth Morse taper connection implants placed in fresh extraction sockets of the anterior maxilla, by means of the pink aesthetic/white aesthetic score (PES/WES) index.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-six adult patients (18 men, 8 women, aged between 20 and 62 years; average: 48.7 years) who were treated with an immediate, single-tooth Morse taper connection implant (Leone Implant System(R) , Florence, Italy) in the aesthetic area of the anterior maxilla, were enrolled in this retrospective study. An independent calibrated examiner applied the PES/WES index to 26 single-tooth implant-supported restorations, respectively, 3 months and 2 years after implant placement.
Results: No implants were lost. All 26 anterior maxillary single-tooth implants fulfilled the established success criteria for dental implants with regard to osseointegration, including the absence of pain, suppuration, clinically detectable implant mobility, peri-implant radiolucency and prosthetic complications at the implant-abutment interface, with an overall implant-crown success of 100.0%. At the 2-year examination, the mean DIB was 0.44 ± 0.14 mm (95% CI: 0.41-0.47); the mean total PES/WES was 14.30 ± 2.78 (range 8-19); the mean PES was 7.30 ± 1.78 (range 4-10) and the mean WES was 7.00 ± 1.35 (range 4-10).
Conclusions: The immediate placement of single-tooth Morse taper connection implants in the anterior maxilla seems to represent a successful procedure, from an aesthetic point of view. Further studies are needed to evaluate the aesthetic outcome of single-tooth Morse taper connection implants placed in fresh extraction sockets of the anterior maxilla.
(© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)