January 2019

A 47-year-old Caucasian male presented with a radiolucent area around the apical region of an implant placed using the socket shield technique. A second surgical procedure was performed to curette the lesion and fill the defect with a xenogeneic bone graft. Twenty months after implant placement and 10 months after the second surgery, there was no sign of recurrence of the lesion and radiographic evaluation was consistent with new bone formation in the region. Thus, although numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the socket shield technique, this case report illustrates the need for further randomized clinical studies for a better understanding of the clinical complications and indications for the technique.