Reconstruction of Soft Tissue Defects Around Anterior Implants

Program Track: Periodontal Plastic and Soft Tissue Surgery

Buccal soft tissue deficiencies around anterior implants have always been an unfortunate clinical finding. On some occasions these are due to ridge deformities. Whereas at other times, they are due to improper 3D implant positioning, regardless of implant placement timing. In the last decade, it has become a matter of strong interest for researchers and clinicians for both esthetic and health-related reasons. Assuring bone and soft tissue thickness at the time of, or prior to implant placement, seems a key factor to prevent future deficiencies and ensure peri-implant health and esthetic. On the other hand, once they have occurred, understanding the predictability of their treatment is also fundamental. Microsurgical approaches including high quality connective tissue grafts with an interdisciplinary prosthetic approach represent the gold standard of therapy, although alternative technologies are currently under investigation.

Educational Objectives:

• Recognize and describe the risk factors associated with hard and soft tissues deficiencies at immediate and delayed anterior implant sites.
• Prevent soft tissue deficiencies with a surgical-prosthetic combined approach.
• Assess the predictability of the outcomes of treatment of soft tissue deficiencies.
• Analyze the different techniques and technologies to treat buccal soft tissue deficiencies at anterior implant sites.