Socket shielding concept in implant Placement: A neoteric approach

Abstract

Implant dentistry has been a promising branch offering functional and esthetic replacement of missing tooth or teeth. Post extraction soft and hard tissue loss has a negative impact on implant positioning and its overall esthetic outcomes especially when it comes to esthetic zones such as maxillary anterior teeth. Inorder to combat these effects arising from extraction, socket shield technique has been introduced. The technique involves retention of buccal fragment of root and careful removal of palatal half of root followed by immediate implant placement. Several approaches have been described in the literature to preserve the ridge like the hard and soft tissue augmentation with GBR, bone substitutes but socket shield technique proves to be cost effective and minimally invasive. The principal, classification, surgical aspects, indications and contraindications, modification of socket shield technique shall be discussed in this review article.