Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine - Department of Periodontology

Background: Stability of soft tissue around implants and the ability of the gingival tissue to mask different types of underlying restorative material are significant factors in achieving a satisfactory esthetic outcome. Several surgical and prosthetic approaches have been suggested to improve the esthetics of implant-supported restorations in the esthetic zone. Materials and methods: 18 patients requiring single delayed implant placement in the esthetic zone were randomly assigned to either the placement of a connective tissue graft and immediate provisionalization in the test group or immediate provisionalization alone in the control group. Peri-implant soft tissue esthetics through Pink Esthetic Score (PES) and change in buccal peri-implant soft tissue thickness were assessed clinically while patient satisfaction was evaluated through a questionnaire 6 months after the final crown delivery. Results: Eighteen implants (9 test, 9 control) were placed in 18 patients with mean ages of all subjects 44.5 ± 5.8. At the 6-month follow-up visit following final crown delivery, 15 out of the 18 implants remained osseointegrated, while 3 had early implant failure (2 test, 1 control). The control group yielded a total mean PES score of 12.62 ± 0.91; while the test group had a total mean PES score of 12.14 ± 0.83. Regarding the change in buccal tissue thickness, the mean change in overall thickness was -0.18 ± 0.90 mm in the test group compared to 0.12 ± 0.86 mm in the control group with no statistically significant difference between both groups (P= 0.255). Similarly, patients were highly satisfied in terms of function and esthetics with no statistically significant difference between both treatment approaches

Issued also as CD