Soft Tissue Management Around the Dental Implant: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

In the modern world, there is an increasing concern among people regarding dental esthetics. Edentulism can impact one's appearance, affect the regular bite, and can even affect mental well-being. There are various options to replace the missing teeth, such as removable dentures, fixed crown and bridge prostheses, and resin-retained bridges. Various factors are evaluated before giving a suitable prosthesis for missing teeth. Implant installation is highly desired by patients as it has a high success and long-term survival rate when used to replace lost teeth. However, several difficulties relating to errors in treatment planning, surgery, soft tissue, and hard tissue care, and infections may compromise the efficacy of implant therapy. An increasing body of research indicates that long-term clinical stability and esthetics may be significantly impacted by the stability of the soft tissues around osseointegrated dental implants. Consequently, when implant therapy is planned, the dental surgeon has to have the necessary expertise to appropriately handle any possible causes of difficulties in addition to being able to carry out the necessary actions to maintain or develop stable soft tissue. Various augmentation procedures can be done for the correction of any deformity or inadequacy of soft tissues. Osseointegration is a fundamental part of the success of the implant treatment. It is the formation of a biological and functional connection between the bone and the implant increasing the stability of implant prosthesis. After the treatment, the patient should be counseled for regular and proper oral hygiene practices suitable for the implant. A proper follow-up has to be done after implant treatment in regular intervals. Any postoperative soft tissue complications, such as peri-implantitis or peri-implant mucositis, should be addressed immediately, and appropriate treatment has to be given. This article reviews about the procedures before and after the implant placement to prevent or treat soft tissue complications, ultimately leading to the success of the implant.

Keywords: augmentation; dental implant; implant; osseointegration; peri-implant mucositis; peri-implantitis; soft tissue management.

Figure 1. Selection process for articles included in this study

Adopted from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).