Esthetic Restoration of a Single-Tooth Dental Implant Using a Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft: A Case Report with 3-Year Follow-up

This case report describes the use of a subepithelial connective tissue graft to restore the gingival papillae and augment ridge soft tissues adjacent to a dental implant. The patient was referred for periodontic and prosthodontic evaluation after the placement of an implant - with the implant head 6.5 mm below the adjacent cementoenamel junction - in an area of inadequate bone volume with deficient interproximal papillae and ridge soft tissues. The resulting esthetic defect was restored by means of a combined technique that used a subepithelial connective tissue graft and an emergence profile-contoured crown. A 3-year clinical follow-up with complete regeneration of the gingival papillae is described.