Risk factors and management of dehiscent wounds in implant dentistry

Successful implant dentistry is based on adequate training, proper selection of patients, careful surgery, preplanned restorations, and postoperative and supportive care. Although implant therapy is highly successful and predictable, it is not without possible early and/or late complications. The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of a relatively neglected subject of dehiscent wounds in the dental implant literature. This article covers the definitions of wound healing and wound dehiscence and some of the common risk factors related to suture line opening as an immediate postoperative complication. These factors appear to be largely iatrogenic in nature and partly related to patient neglect. Hence, it deserves documentation to confirm a strategy for their avoidance and management. A management protocol is presented on how to deal with different types of dehiscence and causal factors.