Socket shield technique: An unconventional method for immediate implant placement - A review

The aim of this review is to present the currently available studies on the treatment outcome of socket shield technique (SST) with an attempt to compare it with the conventional technique for immediate implant placement. An electronic search was performed using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases. All relevant human studies reporting the treatment outcome of SST in conjunct with immediate implant placement were included. In vitro studies, case reports, reviews, systematic reviews and articles not related to SST were excluded. The initial electronic database search identified 606 articles. After removing the duplicates, reading the titles and abstracts, 19 articles were eligible for full-text reading. Two case series were excluded as the specific treatment outcomes of the clinical cases were not mentioned. Further, one article was included after hand searching of the reference lists. Eighteen articles were included for the final review. These 18 articles consisted of 15 full texts and 3 abstracts. Out of them, 3 were randomized controlled trials, 7 were retrospective studies, 4 were prospective studies, 1 was a prospective case series, 1 was a prospective nonrandomized controlled study and 2 were comparative studies. This review concludes that though the implant survival rate may be comparable in SST and the conventional technique, the SST seems to perform better in terms of bone preservation, esthetic outcome, and patient satisfaction. Furthermore, further randomized clinical trials are required to generate strong evidence for recommending SST over the conventional technique for long-lasting successful treatment outcomes with immediate implants.