Hard and soft tissue augmentation to enhance implant predictability and esthetics: ‘The perio-esthetic approach’

Dental implants are being increasingly applied in the restoration of partial and completely edentulous patients. Often, in these patients, soft and hard tissue defects result from a variety of causes, such as, periodontal infection, trauma, and tooth loss. These create an anatomically less favourable foundation for ideal implant placement. For prosthetic-driven dental implant therapy, reconstruction of the alveolar bone, through a variety of regenerative surgical procedures has become predictable. This article documents the soft and hard tissue treatment management of a patient with Generalized Chronic Periodontitis, who required hard and soft tissue augmentation of the ridge, prior to implant placement. We augmented the height and width of the ridge (Seibert's Class III ridge deficiency) using an Autogenous J-shaped graft involving the chin and lower border of the mandible, followed by soft tissue augmentation of the ridge with a subepithelial connective tissue graft. A significant increase in the ridge dimensions was achieved.