Advances in Esthetic Implant Dentistry

Check-in and breakfast at 8:00 AM

Appetizers and break at 12:00 PM

Located in the Michigan Union Bldg. Second floor

Parking: Nearby options include Maynard Public Parking Structure or street parking on State St.

In the digital era nowadays, various new technologies could be applied to improve our collaboration and achieve ideal treatment outcome in particolar in the high demanding esthetic cases. While taking the digital workflow in the prosthetic treatment, a strategic virtual patient set up, with a smart data collection, is the bridge to connect all specialties and therapies. This vision is crucial in case of complex multidisciplinary treatments in order to work with a better accuracy and efficiency, higher predictability, simplicity and achieving a full integrated restorative outcome. In multidisciplinary implant supported rehabilitations, digital technology allows to proceed with an ideal diagnosis and treatment plans defining all the prosthetic and surgical procedures and components that are fundamental for achieving stable restorative outcome with an ideal biological, esthetic and functional integration.The management of soft tissues in aesthetic areas is another crucial aspect. Fundamental to success are an accurate diagnosis and the selection of the most appropriate treatment plan and surgical technique, based on the pre-existing anatomical conditions.We will discuss immediate implants in combination with bone and soft tissue grafting; we will address the socket shield technique and bone and soft tissue regeneration. Another important chapter concerns retreatments—that is, interventions on therapies performed 15 or 20 years ago which today may present significant aesthetic defects that must be corrected to achieve a satisfactory aesthetic outcome. In this context, soft tissue management, flap design, and connective tissue grafts are key elements. Finally, the design of the implant emergence profile will also be addressed from a modern perspective, considering aesthetic, biomechanical, and biological aspects, and describing how the emergence profile influences the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the surrounding tissues. Infact, the emergence profile is a crucial factor to facilitate favorable esthetic outcomes and maintain peri-implant health and stability. It should be evaluated not simply in terms of morphology but as a clinical variable closely related to materials properties, surface chemistry and clinical approaches; in this way, it is possible to achieve a comprehensive planning of this critical factor that can influence significantly the integration, stability and preservation of bone and soft tissues. Soft tissues integration and adherence onto prosthetic components represent paramount elements to preserve and protect bone from contamination and infection.

The lecture is conceived to present a prosthetic concept suggested as an operative strategy to preserve peri-implant hard and soft tissues and achieve predictable prosthetic outcomes optimizing soft tissues integration. A comprehensive evaluation of the emergence profile around dental implants to achieve ideal soft tissues adherence branches out into 3 main topics that can be listed in:

1) material, including biocompatibility, decontamination and surface chemistry and quality

2) morphology, considering the design in the critical and sub-critical area

3) clinical approach that included surgical and prosthetic aspects.

Educational objective: At the end of this session, participants will be able to discuss treatment approaches and component selection to promote soft tissue healing and stable biological outcomes.

5 CE Credit Hours