Volumetric buccal bone alterations at immediate implant sites with or without soft tissue augmentation: A 6‐month assessment

This study investigated how soft tissue augmentation (STA) affected the changes in bone around dental implants placed immediately after tooth extraction. Specifically, it compared the use of a connective tissue graft and an acellular dermal matrix against no STA. Forty-five patients who needed a maxillary anterior tooth or premolar extraction and a dental implant were included. Before the extraction and 6 months after implant placement, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were taken to measure changes in the bone dimensions around the implants. The analysis included three sections of the bone: the coronal, middle, and apical sections. The results showed no significant differences in bone changes between the different treatment groups. The greatest bone loss was found in the coronal section. Measurements taken in three dimensions (3D) and two dimensions (2D) showed varying degrees of correlation. Overall, the findings suggested that STA did not affect bone loss around dental implants, and 2D measurements may not accurately reflect the 3D changes in bone.