Kevser Pala

Objectives To assess both the radiographic and profilometric outcomes of early implant placement with or without ARP (using two different ARP techniques) after one year of loading. Materials and methods Seventy-five patients with a failing single tooth in the anterior maxilla were randomly allocated to three groups: (a) ARP using demineralized bovine bone mineral containing 10% collagen (DBBM-C) covered by a collagen matrix (CM) (n = 25), (b) ARP using DBBM-C covered with a palatal graft (PG) (n = 25) and (c) unassisted socket healing (control) (n = 25). Eight weeks after tooth extraction, early implant placement was performed in all patients. CBCT and impressions were taken 8 weeks after tooth extraction (ARP/ unassisted healing) prior to implant placement and one-year post-loading. Radiographic and profilometric outcomes were evaluated. Results Out of the 75 patients, 55 datasets could be assessed at one-year post-loading (ARP-CM;19, ARP-PG;17, Control;19). The need for additional GBR at implant placement amounted to 31.6% (ARP-CM), 29.4% (ARP-PG), and 68.4% (unassisted healing). Adjusted models revealed that residual buccal bone and additional GBR at implant placement significantly influenced the magnitude of the alveolar changes at one year (p<0.05). Regarding profilometric measurements, a tendency towards agreement with radiographic outcomes was observed. Conclusions Early implant placement with ARP can attenuate alveolar ridge changes at one-year post-loading by minimizing both radiographic and profilometric alterations. However, early implant placement with simultaneous GBR consistently yields superior radiographic and profilometric outcomes, regardless of whether ARP is performed. These findings suggest a limited value of ARP if a failing tooth can be replaced with an implant within 8 weeks after tooth extraction (e.g. early implant placement).

Dr. Kevser Pala graduated from the University of Zurich, Switzerland in 2016 and spent four years in private practice. Currently, she is in her final of her three-year postgraduate residency in implant dentistry and prosthodontics at the Clinic of Reconstructive Dentistry at the University of Zurich (Chairman Prof. Ronald Jung). During her postgraduate residency she actively participated in various clinical studies focusing on the performance of different implant systems. Her involvement in these studies has granted her the opportunity to be first or co-author in forthcoming publications. Additionally, she participated and collaborated as a co-author in a systematic review for the ITI Consensus Conference 2023. Following the completion of her residency, Dr. Pala has been selected as an ITI scholar and will spend a year at Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston MA, USA. Subsequently, she will return to the Clinic of Reconstructive Dentistry at the University of Zurich, where she will join the faculty as a member.