Socket Shield Adjacent to Complete Root Shield in the Anterior Zone: A Case Report

Since its introduction, the “socket shield” technique has been a subject of interest and investigation. Its main aim is to leave the buccal portion of a root in situ where a dental implant is planned for placement. The root remnant acts as a “shield” holding and preserving the attached periodontal apparatus. It is expected to preserve the buccal periimplant bone architecture with no changes. This case report highlights the feasibility of two Partial Extraction Therapy (PET) techniques: implant placement following the traditional socket shield technique in a singlerooted tooth and a modified approach applied to an adjacent two-rooted tooth on the same side. The proposed modification eliminates the need for the technically demanding and timeconsuming preparation of a socket shield. Instead, the technique involves sectioning the two-rooted tooth, extracting only the palatal root while preserving the buccal root intact, and placing the implant within the extraction socket of the palatal root. This approach simplifies the procedure while maintaining the benefits of bundle bone preservation, similar to the traditional socket shield technique. The results showed noticeable preservation of buccal bone volume and enhanced emergence profile of the implant rationed restoration. However, on the contralateral side, where a conventional implant placement was performed, the expected post-extraction bone remodeling is observed. This serves as a comparative reference, demonstrating the enhanced bone preservation achievable with PET prior to implant placement and the feasibility of the modified PET technique applied. Keywords: Socket shield technique, Complete root shield, Partial extraction therapy, Immediate implant insertion.