Adjacent implant-supported restorations in the esthetic zone: understanding the biology

Traditionally, whe n considering adjacent implants in the esthetic zone, clinicians have encountered problems associated with deficient interproximal soft tissues. These discrepancies were often solved either by fabricating restorations with long interproximal contacts or by adding pink ceramics, both of which represent an esthetic compromise in today's demanding standard of care for restorative dentistry. This challenge has led to the recent introduction of scalloped implants. An understanding of the biology of wound healing of bone and soft tissue around implants and the remodeling process with implant-supported restorations allows the dental team to offer patients an alternative restorative solution consisting of combining conventional flat prosthetic table implants and scalloped implants.

This article illustrates the biologic behavior of wound healing associated with dental implants and shows a step-by-step clinical case in which a patient received four adjacent implants in the esthetic zone. It also describes key elements in laboratory communication when dealing with the aforementioned restorations.