Contour Augmentation by Means of Connective Tissue Grafting Versus Guided Bone Regeneration

The most frequent aesthetic complication following single implant treatment seems to be a lack of buccal convexity. This 'alveolar process deficiency' is the result of buccal bone remodeling following tooth extraction. A traditional approach to treat alveolar process deficiency is guided bone regeneration (GBR), however post-operative complications such as swelling, bleeding and pain are common and the aesthetic outcome may not be optimal. An alternative to the traditional GBR approach could be soft tissue contour augmentation using a connective tissue graft (CTG) at the buccal aspect. Possible advantages over GBR include less morbidity at the implant site, a superior aesthetic outcome since there is no need for vertical releasing incisions and less costs since there are no biomaterials to be used. The primary study objective is to compare the GBR and CTG group in terms of 2 and 3 dimensional tissue alterations, focusing on the amount of tissue gain and volume stability over time. The secondary study objectives are morbidity, overall radiographic, clinical and aesthetic outcomes.