"Spontaneous Bone Healing in Two Stage Modified Socket Shield Therapy" Can It Be a Dependable Approach for Delayed Implant Placement? A Randomized Controlled Trial

There remains no consensus regarding management of the space adjacent to the retained shield-whether it should be filled with a biomaterial or left for spontaneous healing. Clinical observations suggest that healing may not always yield complete mineralized fill; instead, a soft tissue interface can develop along the internal aspect of the root fragment, potentially limiting bone formation within the defect. At present, it remains unclear whether placement of a bone substitute can reliably reduce or prevent this soft tissue ingrowth along the inner surface of the retained fragment, providing a rationale for controlled comparisons of grafted and nongrafted two stage SST protocols. Therefore, the present controlled clinical study was designed to compare SST with xenograft combined with MPM augmentation versus SST alone, followed by delayed implant placement after a 6 month healing period. The study evaluated soft tissue ingrowth as key healing outcomes, alongside histologic findings and implant related parameters, including implant stability, as well as the incidence and management of procedure related complications.