Diana Heimes

Is immediacy the new gold standard? If we are today attending any congress or look at the current literature, it appears that in almost any case, the answer is “immediate implantation”. The advantages are apparent: only one surgical procedure, a shorter time to definitive restoration, the preservation of the soft tissue, and a beneficial cost-benefit ratio. But there are still some premises that must be met before inserting the implant: a sufficient amount of bone, soft tissue, and attached gingiva are needed. But scientific data suggest that we will more likely be confronted with compromised situations where immediate insertion may not be ideal. Here, we need promising alternatives to restore dentition – especially in the esthetic zone. The ITI defines different implant placement protocols for each situation, providing a guideline for the clinician. In compromised situations where late placement is the only option, the ITI strongly recommends socket grafting. Which premises must be met to successfully place implants immediately and what needs to be considered if we opt for late placement and still have a happy patient will be discussed in this presentation.

Dr. Diana Heimes is a resident and research associate at the Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – Plastic Surgery at the University Medical Center Mainz. She completed her studies in medicine at the Universities of Marburg, Rostock, and Mainz and received her medical doctorate from the University of Rostock in 2020. She currently completes her studies in dental medicine at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. During the last 4 years, she has authored over 50 national and international scientific articles covering head and neck surgery, oral regeneration, pain management, and dental implantology. She is the author of a textbook on pain control in dentistry to be published this year and a reviewer for various medical and dental journals.