Dr. Paul Fletcher examines the restorative principles for achieving esthetic success around implants, including immediate placement, crestal bone preservation and interdental papilla management.
As patients increasingly expect esthetic outcomes that are indistinguishable from natural dentition, clinicians restoring implants need a clear understanding of the restorative principles that make this possible. This presentation addresses the specific challenges of achieving predictable esthetics around implants, particularly in the anterior, esthetically visible zone.
The lecture covers indications and techniques for immediate implant placement and immediate restoration, and explains why maintaining crestal bone levels is central to optimizing the esthetic result, since the position of the bone crest largely determines the position of the soft tissue above it. Particular attention is given to the formation and long-term maintenance of the interdental papilla around implants, including provisional restoration design, emergence profile management, and contact point positioning.
Dr. Fletcher is a periodontist and Associate Professor at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine.
