Immediate Implant Placement and Provisionalization With and Without a Connective Tissue Graft: An Analysis of Facial Gingival Tissue Thickness

Facial gingival tissue thickness (FGTT) is important for an esthetically pleasing anterior restoration since it determines the soft tissue’s ability to conceal the underlying restorative material. The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in FGTT after immediate implant placement and provisionalization with and without a connective tissue graft. Patients with a failing maxillary anterior tooth planned for immediate implant placement and provisionalization with (CT group) or without (NCT group) a subepithelial connective tissue graft were included in this study. After tooth extraction, direct measurement of the FGTT was performed; subsequent measurements were performed at the time of definitive prosthesis placement. Data were analyzed using independent and paired t tests at a significance level of α = .05. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean FGTT at tooth extraction between the CT and NCT groups. At prosthesis delivery, the mean FGTT for the CT group was significantly greater than that of the NCT group. The mean FGTT of both groups at prosthesis delivery was significantly higher than that at tooth extraction. The mean change in FGTT in the CT group was also significantly greater than that in the NCT group. Immediate implant placement and provisionalization in conjunction with a connective tissue graft is more likely to result in sufficient peri-implant tissue thickness to conceal underlying implant restorative materials than when performed without a connective tissue graft. (Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent 2012;32:657–663.)