Webinar - The Esthetic Dilemma of Periodontal Disease - Surgical Papilla Reconstruction

Aims

Patients with a history of periodontal disease are frequently affected by the loss of interdental papilla height and the formation of open gingival embrasures as a consequence of successful periodontitis treatment and inflammatory resolution. In many cases, the resulting esthetic impairments compromise the well-being of affected patients.

Various surgical and non-surgical techniques to reconstruct interdental papillae have been described in the literature. However, until now no evidence-based treatment is available and particularly surgical papilla reconstruction is still considered highly unpredictable among clinicians. Since restorative approaches can only compensate for open gingival embrasures up to a certain degree, surgical papilla reconstruction is often needed to fulfill the esthetic demands and consequently counteract societal stigmatization of patients after periodontal therapy.

The aim of this online presentation is to provide a comprehensive overview of treatment modalities to compensate for missing papillae. The focus will be on surgical approaches, in particular tunneling flap procedures in combination with palatal releasing techniques to avoid buccal surface incisions and in this way minimizing the risk of scar tissue formation and wound healing complications.

Outcomes

• Recognise that papilla defects significantly compromise the oral health related quality of life of patients with a history of periodontitis

• Recognise that papilla defects can only be treated successfully with an interdisciplinary approach

• Be aware that the indication for surgical papilla reconstruction is crucial and highly dependent on the anatomical conditions

• Understand that only a partial surgical papilla reconstruction can be realistically achieved

• Understand that there is no gold standard technique for surgical papilla reconstruction at this point of time

Speakers

• Dr Otto Zuhr