Guided Bone Regeneration Using a Synthetic Polyethylene Glycol Hydrogel Membrane Over a Bone Substitute Material After Immediate Placement of a Non‐Submerged Implant

Abstract

Introduction: This case report describes a synthetic polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel membrane used to obtain guided bone regeneration (GBR) in a clinical case of a non‐submerged implant placement. The conditioning of this hydrogel membrane for bone regeneration is an innovation compared to previously used membranes in which the size and shape are already predetermined.Case Presentation: Eight weeks after a connective tissue graft on the maxillary lateral incisor of a 20‐year‐old female, tooth extraction and immediate implant placement were performed using a GBR technique with a PEG hydrogel membrane over a bone substitute material. The absence of inflammation and the good soft‐tissue healing confirmed the biocompatibility of the membrane. A three‐dimensional scan was taken to assess the behavior of the bone substitute covered with the PEG hydrogel membrane at 6 months after surgery.Conclusions: The synthetic PEG bone regeneration membrane presented in this case report differs from all other membranes by its hydrogel form. Its properties as described here make this membrane a new tool for clinicians and a source for additional clinical studies to analyze its characteristics in the various indications for GBR.