Human Histologic Evidence of New Bone Formation and Osseointegration Between Root Dentin (Unplanned Socket-Shield) and Dental Implant: Case Report

The socket-shield technique described 7 years ago has since grown in its reporting in the literature as a valid method of ridge preservation at immediate implant placement. To date, large clinical cohorts with up-to-4-year follow-up have been reported. Additionally, evidence of tissue histology at the dental implant and socket-shield has been demonstrated in the animal model. However, human histologic evidence has not yet been available, and the clinician's uncertainty regarding the tissues that may form between the socket-shield and dental implant may remain unanswered until now. This case report presents the first human histologic evidence that bone may entirely fill the space between root dentin and an osseointegrated implant surface.