Soft- and hard-tissue augmentation by orthodontic treatment in the esthetic zone
Makhmalbaf, A.; Chee, W.
Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry 33(4): 302-306
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 1548-8578 PMID: 22536664 Document Number: 662800
A technique that may effectively create a greater volume of available hard and soft tissue in the vertical plane without surgical intervention is reported and explained. Limitations of the forced eruption are also discussed. Creating an esthetic implant-supported restoration is a challenge in patients who have alveolar resorption and/or attachment loss, especially when they present with a high smile line. Many methods to augment this loss of tissue have been proposed; most involve surgical procedures to add bone or bone substitutes to compensate for the loss of alveolar tissue. This case report presents an alternative to bone augmentation procedures with the use of orthodontic tooth movement in the esthetic zone of a 62-year-old woman. The tooth movement facilitated implant placement by increasing soft-tissue volume and facial bony contours.