title: Soft Tissue Surgical Procedures for Optimizing Anterior Implant Esthetics.
abstract: Implant dentistry has been established as a predictable treatment with excellent clinical success to replace missing or nonrestorable teeth. A successful esthetic implant reconstruction is predicated on two fundamental components: the reproduction of the natural tooth characteristics on the implant crown and the establishment of soft tissue housing that will simulate a healthy periodontium. In order for an implant to optimally rehabilitate esthetics, the peri-implant soft tissues must be preserved and/or augmented by means of periodontal surgical procedures. Clinicians who practice implant dentistry should strive to achieve an esthetically successful outcome beyond just osseointegration. Knowledge of a variety of available techniques and proper treatment planning enables the clinician to meet the ever-increasing esthetic demands as requested by patients. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the implant surgeon's rationale and techniques beyond that of simply placing a functional restoration in an edentulous site to a level whereby an implant-supported restoration is placed in reconstructed soft tissue, so the site is indiscernible from a natural tooth.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Education Program in Periodontology, University of Minnesota, 515 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Andreas L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ioannou
authors.affiliation: Advanced Education Program in Periodontology, University of Minnesota, 515 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Georgios A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Kotsakis
authors.affiliation: Advanced Education Program in Periodontology, University of Minnesota, 515 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: McHale
authors.affiliation: Advanced Education Program in Periodontology, University of Minnesota, 515 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA ; Private Practice, Edina, MN 55435, USA.
authors.forename: Donald E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Lareau
authors.affiliation: Advanced Education Program in Periodontology, University of Minnesota, 515 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hinrichs
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Georgios E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Romanos