Peri-implant soft tissue dehiscences: prevention and treatment

Dental implants are reliable tools for replacing missing dentitions. Nevertheless, several complications of implant therapy have been observed, including esthetic nightmares. Peri-implant soft tissue dehiscences/deficiencies include several conditions that can be characterized by the exposure of the metallic components of the dental implants in the oral cavity and/or by an implant-supported crown longer than the contralateral homologous natural tooth. Several risk indicators predisposing to this condition have been identified, including limited keratinized mucosa width, mucosal thickness, lack of buccal bone, etc.

This lecture will focus on the prevention and treatment of peri-implant soft tissue dehiscences, with a particular focus on the selection of the most appropriate surgical approach for each scenario in order to obtain long-term stable and esthetic outcomes.