Minimally Invasive Implant Treatment Using Small Incisions

Eun-Taek Lee; Hanee Bae; Seung-Ki Min; Je Won Wang; Yeong Kon Jeong

doi:10.32542/implantology.2025017

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2025 Vol.29, Issue 3 Preview Page Next Page

Clinical or Case Report

Minimally Invasive Implant Treatment Using Small Incisions

30 September 2025. pp. 163-169

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Abstract

Flapless implant surgery has gained increasing popularity due to its advantages, including preservation of the periosteal blood supply, minimization of soft and hard tissue trauma, and reduction of patient discomfort. However, conventional flapless techniques are regarded as limited in cases involving narrow alveolar crests or inadequate keratinized tissue, due to restricted visibility and limited access. This case report presents a modified flapless approach that overcomes these challenges through minimally invasive techniques. A 1 mm guide pin was inserted into the alveolar bone to serve as a radiographic and intraoral reference, facilitating accurate angulation and depth control without requiring a surgical stent. At a site with insufficient keratinized gingiva, a small semilunar incision was made slightly lingual to the crest to reposition the soft tissue without flap elevation. Additionally, an implant fixture with variable machined surface lengths was selected to accommodate crestal bone morphology and soft tissue thickness, eliminating the need for bone grafting. At the 4-year and 4-month follow-up, the site exhibited stable crestal bone and firm keratinized gingiva, with no evidence of inflammation. This technique offers a simple and reproducible strategy for extending the indications for flapless implant surgery, even in anatomically compromised patients.

Keywords

Cone beam computed tomography

Dental implant

Minimally invasive surgical procedure

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Information

Publisher :The Korean Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Implantology
Publisher(Ko) :대한구강악안면임플란트학회
Journal Title :Journal of implantology and applied sciences
Journal Title(Ko) :대한구강악안면임플란트학회지
Volume : 29
No :3
Pages :163-169
Received Date : 2025-08-20
Revised Date : 2025-09-18
Accepted Date : 2025-09-23
DOI :https://doi.org/10.32542/implantology.2025017

Journal of implantology and applied sciences ISSN:2765-7833(Print) 2765-7841(Online) 대한구강악안면임플란트학회지

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