Article:
A Decade of the Socket-Shield Technique: A Step-by-Step Partial Extraction Therapy Protocol
Summary:
Ten years have passed since Hürzeler and coworkers
first introduced the socket-shield technique. Much has
developed and evolved with regard to partial extraction
therapy, a collective concept of utilizing the
patient’s own tooth root to preserve the periodontium
and peri-implant tissue. The specifications, steps, instrumentation,
and procedures discussed in this article
are the result of extensive experience in refining the
socket-shield technique as we know it today. A repeatable,
predictable protocol is requisite to providing
tooth replacement in esthetic dentistry. Moreover, a
standardized protocol provides a better framework for
clinicians to report data relating to the technique with
procedural consistency. This article aims to illustrate a
reproducible, step-by-step protocol for the socket-
shield technique at immediate implant placement
and provisionalization for single-rooted teeth.