Papilla dimension and soft tissue level after early vs. delayed placement of single-tooth implants: 10-year results from a randomized controlled clinical trial

Aim To present the10‐year esthetic outcome data for single‐tooth implants placed early or delayed after tooth extraction. Material and Methods Forty‐four patients randomly allocated to two equal size groups were treated with a single‐tooth implant approximately 10 days (Ea; N = 22), or 3 months (De; N = 22) after tooth extraction. Healing abutments were mounted after 3 months of submerged healing, and metal–ceramic crowns cemented after one additional month. Presence of buccal bone defects was registered at the second‐stage surgery. Patients attended control visits 1 week and 1–1.5 years after mounting of the crown and 5 and 10 years after implant placement. Marginal bone level at the implant and the adjacent teeth as well as the distance between the implant and the teeth were measured in standardized periapical radiographs. The papilla dimension and clinical crown height (CCH) were assessed on clinical photographs by an experienced prosthodontist. Results Two Ea and one De implants failed to osseointegrate. Twenty‐eight patients (13 Ea and 15 De) who attended all four control visits were included in the data analysis. Complete papilla fill interproximally was achieved in one‐third of the cases and an appropriate clinical crown height in