Does immediate loading of a single implant in the healed anterior maxillary ridge improve the aesthetic outcome compared to conventional loading?

BACKGROUND: Immediate loading is an attractive option for avoiding secondary surgery. However, it is unclear whether it provides a better aesthetic outcome compared to conventional loading with implants placed in healed ridges. AIMS: To compare the aesthetic outcomes of immediately and conventionally loaded single implants in healed anterior maxillary ridges. METHODOLOGY: A systematic review using PICO was conducted. EMBASE, MEDLINE and DoSS databases were searched. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for Randomised Controlled Trials and the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool for other study designs were used for quality appraisal. A narrative synthesis was undertaken. RESULTS: A total of 622 articles were identified. After screening, a total of five papers were included. Results indicated no statistically significant difference in pink or white aesthetic scores between the immediate and conventional loading groups at 1- and 5-year review and the Papilla Index at the 1-year review. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this review, immediate loading of single implants provides a comparable aesthetic outcome to conventional loading in healed ridges of the anterior maxillary.