Soft-tissue dehiscence coverage at peri-implant sites

Soft-tissue dehiscence at the facial aspect of an osteointegrated implant is a common complication which impacts on the final esthetic result. The etiology and ways of diagnosing this condition are still controversial. Many factors seem to influence the position of the peri-implant soft-tissue margin, and some of these have been studied more carefully than others. Various surgical and combination surgical-prosthetic approaches have been described to treat soft-tissue dehiscence, with the latter appearing to be more predictable. This paper focuses on the factors affecting peri-implant soft-tissue margins and describes the different treatment approaches, reported in the literature, to treat buccal soft-tissue dehiscence, with more focus on the prosthetic-surgical-prosthetic approach.