One-Surgery Immediate Implants in the Esthetic Zone: Socket Shield 2025

Category: Surgery

Instructor(s): Markus Hurzeler

Course structure: Lessons: 6 lessons | Duration: 4 h 51 min

Course overview

This comprehensive training experience on the biological rationale and surgical protocol of the Socket Shield Technique – the one-surgery approach that allows for immediate implant placement in the frontal esthetic area.

Achievable in one surgical session, the Socket Shield Technique ensures less invasiveness and morbidity, improved long-term stability, enhanced patient comfort, and excellent soft tissue outcomes that are comparable to – if not better than – those obtained with delayed implant placement.

Dr.

Markus Hürzeler, the inventor of the Socket Shield technique, will guide you through the evolution of the surgical protocol, highlighting the refinements and innovations introduced over the past 15 years.

Through several clinical cases, Dr.

Hürzeler also replies to some of the most frequently asked questions concerning the technique, providing practical and applicable answers for your daily practice.

Topics covered in the course:
- Socket Shield Technique: evolution, indications, and advantages
- The biological rationale and surgical protocol
- A new classification system and case selection strategy
- Immediate implant placement in post-extraction sockets
- Anchoring methods for shield stabilization
- Possible complications and how to manage them
- Clinical, radiographic, and volumetric evidence after long-term follow-up
This course is recommended to all implantologists who are looking for a comprehensive training on the clinical application of the Socket Shield Technique, and is particularly beneficial for beginners seeking a guide to case selection.

Curriculum

1. Evolution of Socket Shield surgery

• This first video lesson is dedicated to the evolution of the Socket Shield Technique, from its inception to the present day. Dr. Markus Hürzeler provides a detailed explanation of the process that led to the development of the technique, focusing on the biological rationale and starting from the idea of achieving results with immediate implants that are comparable to, if not better than, those obtained with delayed implants.
• Participants will understand that the main challenge for immediate implants in the aesthetic zone is maintaining the volume of the socket after extraction. They will also observe how Dr. Hürzeler, over the years, has developed the correct protocol to achieve this goal.
• To this end, through various clinical cases, the speaker showcases the different outcomes in preserving the post-extraction socket volume obtained by inserting bovine bone, gingival grafts, a combination of these, or allowing the socket to heal spontaneously.

2. A 3-Dimensional classification of the Socket Shield procedure

• This lesson focuses on the latest classifications of the Socket Shield Technique, providing participants with a valuable tool to assess the complexity of different clinical scenarios and select the most suitable patient for this technique.
• Through clinical clips, Dr. Markus Hürzeler illustrates the characteristics of the four classes into which the spectrum of possible clinical cases for the Socket Shield Technique is divided.
• From the simplest class, where the presence of buccal bone ensures great stability for the shield, to the more complex fourth-class cases, where the absence of buccal bone requires anchoring the shield in the apical area, participants will learn the necessary precautions for each classification.

3. Step-by-step Socket Shield surgical procedure

• This lesson provides a detailed explanation of each phase of the surgical protocol for the Socket Shield Technique. Dr. Hürzeler shows the treatment of a patient with prosthetic crowns on the central incisors who exhibit severe asymmetry of the gingival contours. Among other key aspects, participants will understand the importance of carefully removing all root canal material and composite from the root once the prosthetic crown is removed. This step facilitates the preparation of the implant bed through the root using drills.
• This lesson demonstrates how to create the correct shield design based on case classification, allowing for an optimal choice of the shield’s anchorage position, and also covers the management of the gap between the implant and the shield, encouraging reflection on whether or not to use filling materials.

4. Clinical scenarios

• Dr. Markus Hürzeler analyzes various clinical cases to clarify the indications for using this technique, particularly in the canine area, a region where the risk of resorption is significantly higher. Participants will appreciate how this technique enables the formation of a stable papilla that looks like a natural papilla between implants.
• In particular, this lesson covers the following topics:
• Use indications of this technique
• The application of this technique in the canine area
• The treatment of a fractured tooth
• How to maintain the papilla height

5. Final ReLIVE Surgery

• Dr. Hürzeler performs the treatment of a patient with fractures in both central incisors by creating two second-class shields, anchored at the interproximal level. A step-by-step discussion covers the key phases, including the removal of old crowns, elimination of all residual composite, preparation of the implant bed and shields, and the implant placement protocol.
• In particular, this lesson covers the following topics:
• The treatment of a class II socket shield
• The removal of old composite and root canal filling material
• Preparation of the implant bed
• How to check the position of the bone with the periodontal probe

6. FAQs about the Socket Shield technique

• Participants will learn the ideal dimensions of the shield, both in terms of thickness and length in the apico-coronal direction, as well as the key considerations to keep in mind during the implant placement phase.
• In particular, this lesson covers the following topics:
• How thick should the shield be?
• How long should the shield be in the apico-coronal direction?
• Should we prepare the shield till the buccal bone crest?
• Should the implant have contact with the shield?
• Should the gap between the shield and implant be filled with grafting materials?
• How far should the shield be prepared interproximally?