Introduction: Implants placed immediately after tooth extraction; impose many challenges. One of them is the difference in size and form between the extraction socket and the simultaneously inserted implant. Soft tissue coverage of the implant area is considered substantial to attain bone filling adjacent to the implant.
Objectives: Evaluation of free tissue graft of buccal pad of fat (BPF) for primary soft tissue closure with immediately placed implants in the maxillary posterior region.
Methods: Ten patients aged between 20 to 45 years were selected from the outpatient clinic of Alexandria University requesting a dental implant to replace an unrecoverable maxillary posterior tooth. One stage surgery including tooth extraction, placement of an immediate implant, bone grafting material and autologous soft tissue graft from the buccal pad of fat was carried out. Clinical and radiographical follow up were done for six months.
Results: 10 patients (6 females and 4 males; mean age 34 years) were followed for 6 months .Soft tissue healing, was uneventful with only minor postoperative complications. Bone density and bone thickness measurements were significantly improved after 6 months from implant placement with full bone recovery around the implants compared with the 3months results.
Conclusion: Results of the study suggest that, the buccal pad of fat graft application is a new prospective modality for achieving primary soft tissue coverage over immediate implants.
Keywords: immediate implants, buccal pad of fat, primary soft tissue coverage.
Running Title: immediate implants with buccal pad of fat free graft.