Clinical performance of immediately placed and immediately loaded single implants in the esthetic zone: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to assess the following PIO question: In adult patients treated with an indication for single tooth extraction in the maxillary esthetic zone (15–25), what is the influence of an immediate implant placement and immediate loading protocol on the clinical performance (primary aim) and esthetic outcomes (secondary aim) focusing on investigations published after 2010. Material and Methods An electronic search in Medline (PubMed), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE databases up to April 2022 was performed to identify clinical studies investigating the outcome of single implants subjected to immediate placement with immediate restoration/loading (Type 1A). Results Sixty-three studies (10 randomized controlled trials, 28 prospective and 25 retrospective cohort studies) were included with a follow-up ranging from 12 to 96 months. One thousand nine hundred sixty-one implants reported survival rates of 99.2 (98.6–99.5) % at 1 year, 97.5 (95.9–98.4) % after 3 years, and 95.8 (93.3–97.4) % after 5 years; 1064 immediately loaded restorations presented survival rates of 98.9 (97.8–99.5) % after 1 year, 96.8 (93.6–98.4) % after 2 years, and 94.8 (89.6–97.4) % after 5 years. Comparing baseline to 12-month data using the Hedges' g effect size (95% CI), papilla height presented an overall effect size of −0.71 (−1.25, −0.1) mm, midfacial recession change of −0.15 (−0.66, 0.36) mm, and a 0.82 (0.37, 1.28) gain in PES. Conclusions Immediate implant placement and immediate loading can be considered a predictable and safe treatment option for single maxillary anterior restorations with adequate survival rates and favorable esthetics outcomes for up to 5 years.