Soft tissue dehiscence coverage around endosseous implants: a prospective cohort study
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Published on: March 14, 2025
R Burkhardt1, A Joss, N P Lang
1School of Dental Medicine, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland. rino.burkhardt@bluewin.ch
Aim:
To evaluate the healing outcome of soft tissue dehiscence coverage at implant sites.
Material And Methods:
Ten patients with one mucosal recession defect at an implant site and a contralateral unrestored clinical crown without recession were recruited. The soft tissue recessions were surgically covered using a coronally advanced flap in combination with a free connective tissue graft. Healing was studied at 1, 3 and 6 months post-operatively.
Results:
Soft tissue dehiscences were covered with a coronal overcompensation of the flap margin up to 1.2 mm after the procedure. After 1 month, the coverage shrank to a mean of 75%, after 3 months to 70% and after 6 months to 66%.
Conclusions:
The implant sites revealed a substantial, clinically significant improvement following coronal mucosal displacement in combination with connective tissue grafting, but in none of the sites, a could complete implant soft tissue dehiscence coverage be achieved.
