title: Long-term Stability of Soft Tissue Esthetic Outcomes Following Conventional Single Implant Treatment in the Anterior Maxilla: 10-12 Year Results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to evaluate the long-term stability of esthetic outcomes of soft tissue around maxillary anterior single-tooth implants after 10-to-12 years of loading.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who had been treated for single-tooth implants in the anterior maxilla between February 2000 and July 2002 were invited to participate in the study. All implants had been placed according to delayed implant placement and conventional loading protocols without any connective tissue graft or papilla preservation flaps. Pink Esthetic Score (PES) was rated using standardized clinical photographs to assess the esthetic outcomes of the implant treatment at the time of crown placement and at time of follow-up examination which was at least 10 years after the crown placement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 19 patients were included. The mean score of PES was 11.63 (SD 1.61; range 7-14) at baseline. After 10-to-12 years of function, a mean PES score of 11.05 (SD 2.09; range 6-14) was recorded. No significant differences were found in the esthetic outcomes, categorized based on clinically relevant levels, between the baseline and follow-up session (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within limitation of the present study, it can be concluded that the esthetic outcomes of soft tissue around the maxillary anterior single-tooth implants placed using conventional implant placement technique remained stable in the long-term.
authors.affiliation: Dental Implant Research Center and Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rokn
authors.affiliation: Division of Periodontology, Department of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bassir
authors.affiliation: Dental Implant Research Center and Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rasouli Ghahroudi
authors.affiliation: Dental Implant Research Center, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kharazifard
authors.affiliation: Dental Implant Research Center, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manesheof
keywords: Anterior maxilla; Conventional placement; Esthetic zone; Esthetics; Implant; Long-term; PES; Pink Esthetic Score; Single implants; Soft tissue alteration