Evaluation of the Aesthetic Outcomes of the Single Crowns Supported by Tissue Level Implants

Evaluation of the Soft Tissue Stability Around Single Crowns Supported by Tissue Level Implants Placed in Non-augmented Healed Sites in the Anterior Maxilla: a Retrospective Study

The aim of this study is to review the long-term soft tissue stability and the long-term esthetic results of single crowns supported by tissue level implants placed in non-augmented healed sites.

The hypothesis of the present study is that tissue level implants can achieve ideal esthetic outcomes in non-augmented healed sites.

Both successful implant-supported restorations and the peri-implant soft and hard tissues are vital determinants which may affect the short- and long-term aesthetic outcomes.

For this reason, the pink aesthetic score (PES) was introduced for the evaluation of peri-implant soft tissues by Fürhauser in 2005 and modified by Belser as PES/WES in 2009.

So far, a series of clinical studies have confirmed the suitability of PES/WES and PES index for the objective outcome assessment of the aesthetic dimension of anterior single-tooth implants.

However, to our knowledge, studies with long term data of the aesthetic outcome evaluation in non-augmented healed sites of the anterior maxilla are still rare, for most of the papers published recently mainly focused on immediate implant placement after tooth extraction with only 1-5 years following up.

In our previous study, we have evaluated the alterations of soft tissue around implant-supported single crowns in the anterior maxilla with original standard PES at the time of crown placement and 6 months post-loading .We have found that the aesthetic outcome of soft tissue around the single-tooth implant had improved significantly at follow-up compared with baseline according to PES assessment. However, the follow up time of the previous study was short (6-8 months), long time follow up is necessary to confirm the previous hypothesis and observations.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Have had the tooth extraction at least 3 months before implant surgery.

• Did not receive soft or hard tissue augmentation before or in conjunction with implant surgery.

• Did not receive restorative treatment of the adjacent teeth.

• Underwent conventional healing and loading protocol after implant surgery.

• Have both neighboring teeth and corresponding teeth in the mandible.

  ----For additional, the patients should have

• Photographs of the anterior teeth, the photos should have been taken at right after crown placement and at the 6-10 months recall visit.

• Radiographs of the implant-supported single crowns, the radiographs should have been taken at right after crown placement.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who don't fulfill the inclusion criteria
• Patients who refused to join the study