Evaluation of extra-narrow diameter implants in the oral rehabilitation of young patients after oral trauma: A prospective study

Abstract

Background/aim: Oral trauma is a common event in young patients and can lead to tooth loss, especially after avulsion of a tooth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the survival, esthetic outcomes, ridge preservation, and patient satisfaction of extra-narrow diameter implants (NDIs) as a temporary rehabilitation treatment for young patients who had lost permanent maxillary incisors after an avulsion.

Materials and methods: This study comprised a prospective clinical and experimental study on a case series of 13 patients (age: 10-14 years) with a history of avulsion of one or more maxillary incisors. The patients received 19 mini-drive locks implants (Intralock) with acrylic resin crowns, divided into two evaluation arms: immediate implant placement (n = 10) and delayed implant placement (n = 9). The cases were followed up every 3 months with an initial tomography (T0) before implant placement and after 1 year (T1). The clinical stability of the implant in the bone and the retention of the provisional implant crown were evaluated, and the esthetic index was calculated at each follow-up. Intragroup and intergroup differences in alveolar ridge height and thickness were compared at T0 and T1, and a questionnaire was administered to assess the patient's perception of the treatment.

Results: The implant survival rate after 1 year was 78.9%. Alveolar ridge height and thickness increased in all cases at T1 (p < .05). Patients who received immediate implants had greater initial and final alveolar ridge thickness. The esthetic index progressively increased over the investigated time period (p = .001). Only one female patient presented with crown infraocclusion after 1 year. The patients' esthetic perceptions of their smiles significantly improved after treatment (p = .001).

Conclusions: Extra-NDI had good survival rates, were effective at maintaining alveolar bone, and promoted aesthetic recovery and patient satisfaction with treatment during the period studied.

Keywords: dental implants; growth and development; osseointegration; tooth loss.