2026 Volume 39 Issue 2 Pages 136-141
In this report, two implants with diameters of <3.0 mm were used to rehabilitate mesiodistally narrow anterior edentulous sites, and a favorable outcome has been maintained for 4 years and 6 months.
The patient was a 25-year-old man who visited our clinic seeking implant rehabilitation of post-orthodontic spaces. Congenitally missing teeth were noted in the left and right mandibular anterior regions, and the spaces corresponding to teeth 33 and 43 had been maintained with a retainer after orthodontic treatment. Preoperative computed tomography was used to evaluate the mesiodistal space and buccolingual bone width at each site. Because a sufficient distance from the adjacent teeth could not be obtained with regular-diameter implants, implants <3.0 mm in diameter were planned for both sites. In August 2020, the implants were placed according to the standard protocol without bone augmentation. After the healing period, definitive impressions were made, and zirconia crowns were delivered.
At 4 years and 6 months after delivery of the definitive superstructures, no peri-implant inflammation or radiographic bone loss was observed around the implants placed at the sites corresponding to teeth 33 and 43. This case suggests that implants <3.0 mm in diameter may represent a treatment option for anterior edentulous sites with limited mesiodistal space.
