Soft Tissue Consideration for Implants Placement in Esthetic Zone

Abstract

Replacement of missing teeth with implants has made a revolutionary change in restorative dentistry. There is increasing demand for esthetics along with restoration of comfort and function. Adequate zone of attached tissue around a natural tooth or implant prosthesis is desirable to better withstand the functional stresses resulting from mastication, oral hygiene efforts and to maintain predictable levels over time. The importance of soft tissue in implant dentistry is often underestimated. The present literature review focuses various non-surgical and surgical procedures for soft tissue augmentation in implantology and also discusses various approaches to preserve and restore the interdental papilla. Goals for peri-implant soft-tissue grafting are to create a stable peri-implant soft tissue environment by providing an adequate zone of attached non-mobile tissues with intimate adaptation to emerging implant structure and reconstructing soft tissue architecture for maintaining harmonious relationship with implants. There are several factors that affect peri-implant soft-tissues which should be taken into consideration while planning for soft-tissue augmentation procedures around implants. So it is important for an implantologist to not only select the appropriate procedures for optimal soft tissue management but to also sequence them properly.