Soft Tissue Augmentation in the Treatment of Alveolar Ridge Defects: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Alveolar ridge defects occur in edentulous ridges because of hard and soft tissue changes after tooth loss due to tumors, periodontal diseases, implant loss etc. Even alveolar ridge defects could be treated using both hard and soft tissue grafts or their combination, hard tissue augmentation may not be necessary and only augmentation of the soft tissue could be adequate if dental implant treatment is not to be undertaken. Both free and pediculated soft tissue grafts were described. Roll technique and vascularized interpositional periostealconnective tissue grafts are frequently used as pediculated connective tissue grafts, and most frequently used free grafts are connective tissue and free gingival grafts, interpositional, onlay, interpositional/onlay graft combinations and acelluler dermal matrix. Although the advantages of the techniques is well described, studies comparing the clinical outcomes of these methods are limited. The aim of the present review is to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of soft tissue augmentation techniques in the treatment of alveolar ridge defects and to compare the clinical outcomes of these techniques. It can be concluded that, selection criteria of the appropriate soft tissue augmentation technique today are generally based on the clinical predictability of the techniques and the experience level of the surgeon.