Beyond the Limits of Soft Tissue Management in Implant Esthetic Therapy

- Advanced
Associated Schools

Describe step-by-step harvesting technique.
Describe the surgical procedure combining implant placement and simultaneous connective tissue graft.
Describe step by step the soft tissue augmentation procedure at the edentulous area before implant placement in single and multiple sites.
Led by Giovanni Zucchelli, DDS, PhD, this program explores the increasingly critical role of soft tissue management around implants—especially for achieving optimal esthetic outcomes. While immediate implant placement under ideal conditions (with intact papillae, proper interdental bone peaks, a healthy buccal bone position, and an optimal gingival margin) can help maintain a pleasing soft tissue profile and papilla height, challenges arise when these conditions are not met. It remains unclear whether the buccal and interproximal soft tissue profiles can be improved when there is interdental papilla loss or attachment loss adjacent to the extraction site, and even less is known about reconstructing peri-implant papilla in cases involving multiple missing teeth with significant horizontal and vertical soft and hard tissue defects. This program will examine the possibilities—and the limitations—of current soft tissue management techniques in addressing these complex clinical situations.