Immediate Implant Placement: Positives and Negatives

BACKGROUND: An immediate implant approach based on the International Congress of Oral Implantologists Glossary of Implant Dentistry is defined as an implant placement immediately after tooth extraction. This allows clinicians to reduce the number of surgical procedures, resulting in shorter treatment times. However, immediate implant placement may also lead to a higher implant failure rate, inability to predict future soft and hard tissue level, and difficulty in achieving implant primary stability. Hence, the purpose of this review article was to discuss the pros and cons associated with this approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature published in the English language related to this topic was searched using PubMed. Articles were then reviewed carefully with an attempt to offer suggestions that clinicians could use as guidelines. RESULTS: Careful case selection was determined to be the most important factor to avoid treatment failures and esthetic complications when deciding between immediate and delayed implant placement. Indications, contraindications, and limitations of immediate implant placement are presented and presented. A case treated with this approach is demonstrated. The concept of how to make a proper case selection for immediate implant placement was also provided with scientific evidence. CONCLUSION: The immediate implant placement approach has been studied extensively since being introduced. Evidence available indicates that it is a successful procedure that may benefit patients. However, careful planning and case selection are needed to ensure implant success and final esthetic outcomes.