Immediate dental implant placement, often combined with immediate loading or restoration, has been constantly debated and discussed over the last 2-3 decades by researchers and master clinicians alike as a potential treatment option in oral implantology. Gradually, it has emerged from a niche indication to become an increasingly popular approach for replacing missing teeth, particularly in the esthetic zone. This technique has been reported to offer several advantages, including reduced treatment time for patients, fewer surgical interventions, preservation of soft and hard tissues, and improved patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, plenty of controversial issues with immediate implant placement still remain, such as: a) although high survival rates often appear comparable to those of early or conventional loading protocols, some studies report a slightly higher risk of implant failure; b) immediate protocols may be associated with esthetic challenges, such as inadequate papilla height or midfacial recessions, and a higher risk of early complications, highlighting the need for strict patient and site selection; c) patient satisfaction and improved oral health-related quality of life associated with immediate implant placement and loading, compared to early/conventional loading; d) best practice for case selection based on criteria that include adequate bone volume, absence of acute infection, and favorable soft tissue conditions.
Therefore, the current topical series of articles in Forum Implantologicum will focus on controversial and highly debated themes – the “hot topics” – surrounding immediate implant placement. We have assembled renowned scientists and clinicians to provide us insights and current evidence in the following articles:
Post-extraction immediate implant placement in the anterior maxilla (A. Tahmaseb, S. Chen)
Single tooth immediate implant placement in molar sites (C. Raabe, F. Lambert, L. Rocher, E.A. Cafferata, F. Schwarz, V. Chappuis, E. Couso-Queiruga)
New understandings and protocols for immediate loading on post-extraction immediate implant placement (R. Santana, C. Santana, D. Sabbah)
The effect of the type of gap grafting biomaterials in post-extraction immediate placement (A. Zuercher, M. Balmer, R. Jung, D. Thoma)
Autologous blood concentrates like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in immediate implant placement – clinical rationale, protocols, and evidence (A. Khamis, K. Sagheb, E. Schiegnitz)
The effect of sealing socket abutments (SSA) on hard and soft tissue healing when post-extraction immediate implant placement is indicated (S. Akhondi, G. Finelle)
The use of tissue level design implants in immediate protocols ((T. Gill, M. Myint, S. Shahdad)
We think that this series of articles indeed nicely covers all controversial aspects – from surgical and prosthodontic considerations to follow-up and long-term results. I hope that you will enjoy reading these contributions by our world-class authors as much as I have.
Michael M. Bornstein
Editor-in-Chief