Soft Tissue Conditioning in Provisional Crowns in Esthetic Zone: a Clinical Trial.
Keywords: Single Implant, Esthetic Dentistry, Tissue Conditioning.
BACKGROUND: The esthetic outcome is one of the criteria used to build a definition of success in implant-supported restorations. Besides performing a masticatory function, dental implants have to bring back satisfactorily the smile esthetic, which is composed not only by the restoration but also by the adjacent peri-implant soft tissue. The aim of this study is to measure the influence of soft tissue conditioning on esthetic outcome of provisional crowns on single implants in the smile zone. METHODS: This study had sixteen patients with indication for rehabilitation with single implant in esthetic region. All patients underwent an implant placement surgery to install a morse tapered implant and whenever possible, immediate loading was applied. All patients received an acrylic resin implant-supported provisional crown. The soft tissue conditioning was performed with a non-surgical technique of gradual pressure. Photographs of the rehabilitated region were taken at the first provisional crown installation and at the last section of soft tissue management. A blind examiner applied the Pink Esthetic Score (PES) based on criteria observed at the photographs. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 10 females and 6 males with a mean age of 40.8 (21—57) years with indication to receive single implants. The missing teeth occurred mostly in anterior region (9) and the most frequent tooth to be rehabilitated was the central incisor (5). Two patients had implant placement with immediate loading, receiving a provisional crown after the surgery procedure. The mean soft tissue conditioning session number was 2,6 (2—4).