Journal of implantology and applied sciences ISSN:2765-7833(Print) 2765-7841(Online) 대한구강악안면임플란트학회지

The critical factors affecting the esthetics of anterior implants can be summarized as the following: 1) Correct positioning of the implant fixture, 2) A sufficient amount of alveolar bone, 3) Optimum volume of soft tissue. The position of the implant is probably the most important factor in obtaining an esthetically superior treatment outcome. The position of the implant should be analyzed 3-dimensionally and the 3-dimensional position of the implant consists of the mesio-distal position, facio-lingual position, and apico coronal position. The 3-dimensional orientation of an implant is determined by the position on the alveolar ridge and its direction. Clinicians often try to mimic natural teeth when fabricating restorations. During the course of an esthetic diagnosis and treatment, however, one should not forget the correlation between the facial pattern, lips, gingiva, and alveolar ridge, as well as the remaining dentition. Since the anterior region is biologically unfavorable when compared with the posterior region, one minor discrepancy in the positioning of an implant can cause an esthetically undesirable treatment outcome. If one understands the biological and prosthetic meaning of an implant’s 3-dimensional position, he or she can achieve a superior esthetic outcome in the anterior region.