Socket Shield Technique Versus Conventional Immediate Implant Placement in Thin Buccofacial Bone

The alveolar ridge resorbs and collapses following tooth removal which continues to be a major concern for practitioners. Many researchers concluded that buccal aspect of the ridge is more prone to resorption, as it is primarily supplied by the periodontal tissues and ligments of the tooth. Therefore, extraction of the hopeless tooth, may be a reason for buccal cortical plate resorbing at a faster rate than the palatal plate leading to its total degradation. This may lead to dimensional changes in the human ridge and the aesthetic area is highly affected by this process. Several techniques in the litreture were proposed to solve the problem of thin buccal bone resorption with or without immediate implantation in the aesthetic area. Some of these techniques are the guided bone and soft tissue regenraton and bone augmentation but proved to be slight aggressive with high morbidity rate. Recently, several papers were published concerning the socket shield technique explaining how to maintain the ridge width and height. Socket shield technique that was first introduced in 2010 aids at retaining the buccal fragment of root in place and intact thus placing the implant behind the lingual aspect of that fragment so that the periodontal ligments and tissues preserve its vitality and aids in preventing the collapsing of the buccal bone. This would help in improving aesthetics especially during immediate implant placment in the anterior maxillary region.