Laser/light-emitting diode (LED)-assisted immediate placement of ultrashort implants in an infected site with severe loss of soft tissues and bone: case report with 3-year follow-up

Background: Alveolar bone resorption, an ineluctable consequence of tooth extraction in infected sites, can substantially jeopardize the outcome of dental implant placement. This report describes a new therapeutic approach in a patient with severe, destructive dental-periodontal infection based on the use of multiple laser and light-emitting diode (LED) sources for decontamination, anti-inflammation and stimulation of repair/regeneration of soft and hard tissues and simultaneous implantation of ultra-short implants and biomaterials. Case presentation: a 55-year-old Caucasian male with a history of chronic periodontitis presented with destructive dental-periodontal infection and extended loss of alveolar bone, requiring removal of tooth #11. He underwent irradiation with diode (λ 810 and 635 nm) and Erbium-doped yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Er:YAG) lasers and LED (λ 405 nm) for soft and hard tissue decontamination, anti-inflammation and biostimulation, grafting of biomaterials for osseoinduction and simultaneous placement of ultra-short locking taper implants for prosthetic reconstruction. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this single-case study, this method gave satisfactory clinical and aesthetic results during a 3-year follow up. This method allowed faster and better healing, rapid prosthetic restoration and no need for local or systemic antibiotics, with obvious advantages in terms of reduction of patient’s discomfort, number of surgical sessions, and costs