Maxillary Anterior Papilla Display During Smiling: A Clinical Study of the Interdental Smile Line
The purpose of this research was to quantify the presence or absence of interdental papillae during maximum smiling in a patient population aged 10 to 89 years. The visual display of interdental papillae during maximum smiling occurred 380 of the 420 patients examined in this study, equivalent to a 91% occurrence rate. Eighty seven percent of all patients categorized as having a low gingival smile line were found to display the interdental papillae upon smiling. Differences were noted for individual age groups according to the decade of life as well as a trend toward decreasing papillary display with increasing age. The importance of interdental papillae display during dynamic smiling should not be left undiagnosed since it is visible in over 91% of older patients and in 87% of patients with a low gingival smile line, representing a common and important esthetic element that needs to be assessed during smile analysis of the patient.

Use of the Natural Tooth for Soft Tissue Development: A Case Series
The achievement of optimal esthetics around anterior dental implants has been a major challenge for many clinicians. The key to an esthetically pleasing appearance lies in the clinician’s ability to properly manage the soft tissue profile around dental implants. Hence, the purpose of this case report is to describe a new technique that uses the patient’s own natural tooth for the provisional implant restoration to develop soft tissue architecture that is almost identical to the patient’s original immediately…

Mucosal Coronally Positioned Flap for the Management of Excessive Gingival Display in the Presence of Hypermobility of the Upper Lip and Vertical Maxillary Excess: A Case Report
Excessive gingival display is a frequent finding that can occur because of various intraoral or extraoral etiologies. This report describes the use of a mucosal coronally positioned flap for the management of a gummy smile associated with vertical maxillary excess and hypermobility of the upper lip. For patients desiring a less invasive alternative to orthognathic surgery, the mucosal coronally positioned flap is a viable alternative. We demonstrate short-term successful use of this technique for the management of excessive gingival display in the presence of slight vertical maxillary excess and hypermobility of the upper lip. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to determine stability of the results.

Socket Shield Technique with Immediate Implant Placement & Provisional
The collapse of the buccal bone and the subsequent recession following teeth extraction is effectively prevented with the socket shield technique. This short presentation goes through the techniques for socket shield preparation of a central incisor as well as the fabrication of an immediate chorused provisional utilizing the patients own crown. Creating a walk out as you walk in scenario. This presentation will show a number of tips and tricks to make this technique as simple as possible. It will also show long term stability of the soft tissue and ridge after 18 months. This technique is one that needs to be in everyones armamentarium. The benefits are unbelievable.

The Science Behind the Papillae - Part 2 of 2
In 1992, Tarnow’s study on the effect of the distance from the contact point to the crestal bone on the presence of interproximal dental papilla gave us a new and ground breaking insight into the management of pink aesthetics. Later Team Atlanta furthered that study, analyzing the different measures between teeth, implants and pontics, giving us an even deeper understanding of how bone height influences in papilla growth. In my understanding, this study was one of the most important in the history of dentistry due to its true crossover between dental surgery and the prosthodontic field, combining aesthetics, oral rehabilitation and oral surgery in treatment planning. Never has interdisciplinary dentistry been more valued. This lecture will go over past and present techniques that can be performed to achieve an optimal aesthetic outcome in the managing of soft tissue.

The Roll Technique in Soft Tissue Augmentation with Implants
In this surgical video, a modified roll technique is utilized for labial augmentation of an anterior implant at the time of uncovering. Incision design, de-epithelialization, tunnel flap on labial and suturing is described. Post-op results are included.

Protocols for Aesthetic Zone Management: From Maintenance to 3D Reconstruction
During the lecture Dr. Bessa will systematize how to face each different clinical situation, utilizing different autogenous tissues combined with a micro surgical approach, in order to have the best healing patterns and scar-less surgery.

Current Concepts in Bioactivity and Regeneration
In this lecture, tips on how to deal with the different types of extraction socket, mostly infected, will be presented. The use of plasma rich in growth factors and the Endoret® (PRGF®) fibrin membrane is a key factor to enhance socket regeneration, post-operative recovery and minimize/treat complications.

Zero Bone Loss Protocol: Influence of Vertical Soft Tissue Thickness on Crestal Bone Stability
Crestal bone stability is considered to be important for bone preservation, longevity of implants and to prevent peri-implant tissue recession. Implant placement level is important for bone stability. Mucosal tissue thickness was shown to be the factor having impact on bone stability. It was showed that platform switching does not reduce crestal bone loss, if soft tissues at the implant placement are thin. It is suggested that thin tissues might be thickened during implant placement, thus reducing bone resorbtion. The role of soft tissue thickness is well established in aesthetic treatment. It is known that thin soft tissues present an unfavorable situation for implant placement, crestal bone stability and subsequent prosthetic treatment.