Digital workflows for immediate implant placement and soft-tissue management in the esthetic zone: A scoping review.

Abstract

This scoping review mapped clinical evidence on digital treatment workflows for immediate implant placement and peri-implant soft-tissue management in the esthetic zone. Following Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS/BVS, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for reports published from January 1, 2015, to July 28, 2026, without language restrictions. Digital treatment workflows were defined as digitally acquired data directly informing or executing a clinical treatment step; studies using digital technologies exclusively for postoperative assessment were excluded. Of 1103 records, 589 were screened after removing 514 duplicates. Fifty-nine reports were sought, 55 were assessed, and 43 reports corresponding to 42 studies were included; two linked publications represented one study. The evidence comprised 27 case or technical reports, five case series, five prospective studies, four retrospective studies, and two randomized clinical trials. Study-level categories included integrated digital workflows, static guided surgery with provisionalization, CAD/CAM tissue conditioning, dynamic navigation, and robot-assisted workflows. Applications included prosthetically driven planning, guided placement, immediate provisionalization, customized transmucosal components, emergence-profile transfer, and peri-implant contour support. Most reports described favorable short-term clinical, esthetic, soft-tissue, or radiographic findings. However, predominantly uncontrolled designs, heterogeneous outcomes, and limited long-term follow-up preclude conclusions regarding superiority or predictability. Current evidence supports feasibility and potential clinical utility, whereas dynamic navigation and robot-assisted placement remain emerging modalities requiring comparative investigation.