Implant installation with bone augmentation and transmucosal healing with demineralized human cortical bone in the maxillary anterior region: report of 3 cases.

It is well known that a decrease in vertical height and in horizontal width is seen after tooth extraction. Immediate implant placement, originally thought to prevent buccal wall resorption, showed little or no evident decrease of the resorption rate or pattern in animal experiments or clinical studies. Thus, the need for bone augmentation with immediate implantation has been suggested. However, until recently, simultaneous bone augmentation with immediate implant placement was thought to be possible only in a submerged environment. In this report, the harmony of soft and hard tissue was achieved in 3 patients by immediate implant placement and bone augmentation with transmucosal healing in esthetically challenging situations. Further evaluation is needed to monitor hard- and soft-tissue changes on a long-term basis. Implant placement and bone augmentation with transmucosal healing using demineralized bone matrix may be an option in the treatment of the loss of anterior teeth.