Digital registration of peri-implant transmucosal portion and pontic area in the esthetic zone

Aim There is a general agreement on the importance of soft tissues conditioning to obtain optimal results in case of teeth replacement supported by dental implants in the esthetic zone. Soft tissue healing should be guided with temporary restorations which are useful to condition soft tissues, as they are relatively easy to modify "chair side" by adding or reducing pressure until a satisfactory soft tissue scalloping has been achieved. Once the desired result is obtained, it is very important to replicate this profile in the master model used for the fabrication of the final prosthesis. The aim of this paper is to describe a simple protocol developed by the authors.

Materials and methods The new technique for the registration of the trans-mucosal area is described and the steps for its replication with a digital workflow are illustrated through a case report. The final restoration was designed as a monolithic zirconia framework (produced with a milling machine) with feldspathic porcelain veneering limited to the buccal surface. The occlusal surface replicated the one of the provisional. The protocol included the digital duplicates of the emergence profile and the conditioned soft tissues.

Results and conclusion The protocol developed by the authors entails a totally digital workflow and results are more predictable.