Treatment of buccal soft tissue dehiscence around single implant: 5-year results from a prospective study.

The aim of this study is to report the 5-year outcomes of a coverage procedure of shallow maxillary soft tissue dehiscences, around single tissue-level implants. The original population consisted of 16 patients presenting a single maxillary buccal implant soft tissue recession. A connective tissue graft, taken from the maxillary tuberosity, was inserted underneath a split-thickness envelope flap. After treatment, patients received individually tailored supportive periodontal therapy (SPT). Two patients were lost to follow-up, while one implant was removed due to peri-implantitis, before the final examination. At 5 years, complete implant soft tissue coverage was depicted in 8 out of 13 cases (62%). Mean soft tissue dehiscence coverage was 86%. Patients' esthetic evaluation showed the persistency of high VAS scores. Treatment of buccal soft tissue dehiscence around single implant, followed by regular supportive therapy, resulted in good esthetic and functional results in the majority of patients. Within the limits of this study, the positive results suggest that the proposed technique may be a reliable option in selected cases.