Soft Tissue Management in Implant Therapy
Anthony G. Sclar, DMD

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Soft Tissue Integration The term soft tissue integration describes the biologic processes that occur during the formation and maturation of the structural relationship between the soft tissues(connective tissue and epithelium) and the transmucosal portion of an implant.

Although experimental and clinical research have only recently begun to focus on improving our understanding of the factors that can affect this soft tissue environment, our current knowledge indicates that the maintenance of a healthy soft tissue barrier is as important as osseointegration itself for the long-term success of an implant-supported prosthesis. As such, the implant surgeon must be well acquainted with various surgical techniques and approaches for successfully managing periimplant soft tissues in commonly encountered clinical situations. Furthermore, when an inadequate quantity or quality of soft tissue is available to secure a stable periimplant environment, the implant surgeon must know the principles and techniques to successfully reconstruct these components. This chapter focuses on basic principles and surgical techniques to manage and, when indicated, reconstruct periimplant soft tissues to enhance the longterm predictability and esthetic outcomes achieved in implant therapy.

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