Factors affecting soft tissue around dental implants: a review of the literature

Much of the focus in the early dental implant literature is on the bone-to-titanium interface because a successful osseointegrated implant requires direct bone contact to the implant surface. The research on soft tissue around dental implants has focused on the partially edentulous patient and, in particular, on the maxillary anterior dentition. Few studies have evaluated soft tissue around dental implants in completely edentulous patients over time. This paper reviews the pertinent literature on soft-tissue healing in both partially and completely edentulous dental implant patients from a Medline search of the English peer-reviewed literature from 1980 to 2004.