Perspectives on esthetics in implant dentistry

Esthetic outcomes are related more to soft tissue volume and adaptation than to implant components. A preoperative understanding of the influence and inter-relationship of bone volume, soft tissue volume and contours, attainable augmentation goals, and the achievable realistic restorative results is important. This article shows the application of routine components in methods to solve routine commonly encountered clinical problems, including matching a missing central incisor to the adjacent dentition and soft tissue, esthetic provisionalization for the hopeless anterior tooth after extraction, and elective replacement of an upper denture with a fixed implant restoration without the use of bone grafting.