Background: The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate bone and soft tissue levels in immediately restored single implants positioned in the esthetic anterior region.
Methods: Forty-five patients requiring single-implant crowns in the anterior region received 52 implants, which were restored immediately. Periapical radiographs and digital images of 368 interproximal sites were taken during regular follow-ups from 24 to 72 months after surgery. The interproximal papilla was assessed and compared to the distances between the bone crest and the contact point between the natural teeth and the restoration crown.
Results: Bone loss in the bone peak was statistically significantly greater in the postextraction sockets compared to the healed sites. No significant correlation was found between bone loss and papilla presence. The interproximal papilla showed average growth and decreased, in percentage terms, when the distance between the bone crest and the contact point between the tooth and the restoration crown was >7 mm.
Conclusions: In the interproximal area between the implant and the natural tooth, the papilla does not seem to be affected by the peri-implant bone loss. The contact point between the natural tooth and the restoration crown should be < or =7 mm from the bone peak. Immediate restoration did not seem to cause a greater average amount of bone loss compared to that reported previously for one- and two-stage surgical procedures after the first year of function.