Jumping gap in immediate implant placement in the esthetic zone: A virtual implant planning using cone-beam computed tomography.

Purpose: A jumping gap (JG) refers to the implant's future buccal wall; this study aims to estimate the jumping gap dimension in relation to virtual implant placement and subsequently link the implant diameter and implant position with the anatomical site.

Methods: This observational study was conducted to analyze the maxillary teeth in the esthetic zone from cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans using OnDemand software. The horizontal jumping gap dimension of each tooth was assessed by subtracting the calculated virtual implant diameter from the socket dimensions.

Results: A total of 253 anterior and premolar maxillary teeth were analyzed from 52 CBCT scans. The estimated JG dimensions were 1.23 ± 0.59 mm, 1.80 ± 0.64 mm, 3.02 ± 0.69 mm, for central incisors, lateral incisors and canines respectively, 3.70 ± 0.68 mm for the first premolars showing the highest horizontal gap and 3.19 ± 0.88 mm for second premolars. The incisors showed the smallest horizontal gap compared to the canines and premolars.

Conclusions: In terms of JG, immediate implant placement is more favorable at the canine and premolar sites. By contrast, the incisors sites should be handled with extreme caution, where the use of narrower implants is advisable when necessary.