The dome technique: a new surgical technique to enhance soft-tissue margins and emergence profiles around implants placed in the esthetic zone

• Main Authors: Irinakis T, Aldahlawi S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2018-02-01
• Series: Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry
• Subjects: Esthetic dental treatment; Peri-implant soft tissue; Autogenous connective tissue grafts. Dental implants.
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/the-dome-technique-a-new-surgical-technique-to-enhance-soft-tissue-mar-peer-reviewed-article-CCIDE

Tassos Irinakis,1 Salwa Aldahlawi1,2 1Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; 2Faculty of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia Abstract: Achieving symmetry of the soft-tissue margins between anterior maxillary dental-implant restorations and adjacent teeth is a therapeutic challenge for both the implant surgeon and the restorative dentist. This article describes a modified procedure utilizing autogenous connective-tissue grafts to improve primarily buccal soft-tissue margins and secondarily interproximal tissues around tooth-bound single dental implants. This technique has the advantage of allowing for coronal augmentation of the peri-implant soft tissue while maximizing the blood supply to the area by using tunneling-technique principles. A detailed description of the technique and a case with a stable result over 24 months after crown placement is presented. Keywords: esthetic dental treatment, peri-implant soft tissue, autogenous connective-tissue grafts, dental implants, soft tissue augmentation, tunnel technique