Surgical management of peri-implant soft tissue color mismatch caused by shine-through effects of restorative materials: one-year follow-up

Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent. 2013 Jan-Feb;33(1):81-8. doi: 10.11607/prd.1344.

Abstract

Thin facial soft tissue may lead to visible soft tissue discoloration around implants and therefore to esthetic deficiencies. The aim of this article is to present a surgical approach to peri-implant soft tissue discoloration caused by the shinethrough effects of restorative materials in the anterior maxilla. A clinical case is used to illustrate the approach. A minimally invasive tunneling approach and connective tissue graft are used. The optical outcome is documented in an objective and standardized manner using a spectrophotometer after a follow-up of 12 months. The presented technique clearly improved the clinical condition and esthetic outcome. Spectrophotometric follow-up revealed a soft tissue color difference between the implant and adjacent tooth (control) that was clearly less than initially presented. In the area 3 mm apical to the soft tissue margin, this difference was beneath the clinically perceptible threshold of 3.7.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Color
  • Color Perception / physiology
  • Connective Tissue / transplantation
  • Dental Implants, Single-Tooth*
  • Dental Materials / chemistry*
  • Esthetics, Dental*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Gingiva / pathology*
  • Gingiva / transplantation
  • Gingival Recession / surgery
  • Humans
  • Incisor
  • Male
  • Maxilla / surgery
  • Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures
  • Sensory Thresholds / physiology
  • Spectrophotometry
  • Surgical Flaps
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Dental Materials