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Did you know that placing an implant in the smile zone requires millimetric precision? We are not only talking about the screw being properly fixed in the bone: we are talking about the gum having the correct shape, about the colour and contour of the crown being indistinguishable from the natural tooth, and about the result standing the test of time. This is what in implantology we call working in the aesthetic zone, and it is, without doubt, one of the most demanding challenges in the specialty.
In December 2014, Dr. Platón Alomar had the opportunity to present his clinical experience in this field before the most relevant professionals in the country: the 48th Annual Meeting of the Spanish Society of Periodontology and Osseointegration (SEPA), held in Valladolid. The SEPA congress is the leading scientific event in periodontology and dental implants in our country, and one of the most influential in Europe in its specialty.
What Dr. Alomar presented at the SEPA 2014 congress
Dr. Alomar’s presentation at the SEPA 2014 annual meeting in Valladolid revolved around a series of clinical cases with a common denominator: the minimally invasive approach applied to implants in the anterior sector, that is, in the teeth that make up the visible smile. The key points of the presentation were:
- Selection of cases in the anterior aesthetic zone with rigorous prior planning criteria.
- Maximum preservation of the peri-implant soft tissue (the gum surrounding the implant) to achieve a natural and lasting pink aesthetic.
- Use of immediate loading protocols in cases where clinical conditions allowed it, reducing the number of interventions and the patient’s treatment time.
- Medium-term results demonstrating the stability of the soft tissue and the harmonious integration of the implant with adjacent teeth.
- Direct translation of these protocols into daily clinical practice, with the aim of offering each patient the best possible result with the least surgical impact.
What it means to work with a minimally invasive approach in aesthetic implantology
When we talk about minimally invasive implantology in the aesthetic zone, we refer to a set of clinical decisions aimed at preserving as much as possible the tissues —bone and gum— surrounding the implant. In the anterior area of the mouth, any loss of volume in the gum or the underlying bone immediately translates into a compromised aesthetic result: black triangles between the teeth, asymmetric gums, or crowns that do not fit with the rest of the smile.
The difference compared to conventional implantology lies, above all, in prior three-dimensional planning and in the scrupulous respect for tissues during surgery. Especially in the aesthetic zone, a fundamental part of the procedure aims to create a definitive implant restoration that cannot be distinguished from the adjacent natural teeth. This requires controlling not only the position of the implant in the bone, but also the architecture of the surrounding gum —what is known as pink aesthetics— and the shape of the crown that covers it.
From the patient’s point of view, the benefits are very concrete. This type of approach reduces the duration of treatment and immediately restores function and aesthetics, with a much lower psychological impact than more conventional treatments, facilitating the return to social and working life. It also avoids the need for second surgeries and therefore reduces visits to the dentist.
Another relevant element that Dr. Alomar incorporates in certain cases is immediate loading: the possibility of placing a provisional crown on the implant on the same day as the surgery. Far from being an aesthetic concession, well-indicated immediate loading contributes to shaping and preserving the soft tissue from the very first moment, favourably conditioning the final result. The peri-implant soft tissues are those that close or seal the contact of the implants between the interior and exterior of the body; therefore, they have a primary function.
Why presenting at the SEPA congress matters for the patient
The periodontology congress of SEPA is not just a showcase for specialists. It is the forum where the Spanish scientific community validates, debates and updates the clinical protocols that are subsequently applied in practices. One of the great values of the SEPA Congress lies precisely in the presentation and discussion of clinical and scientific research that shapes the future of periodontology and implantology. The fact that Dr. Alomar presented his cases at the 48th edition of the SEPA 2014 congress in Valladolid is not an anecdotal detail: it means that his way of working was subjected to the scrutiny of the best specialists in the country and passed that examination.
At Platón Dental, what is presented at a scientific congress is applied in the clinic. The minimally invasive approach to implants in the aesthetic zone that Dr. Alomar presented in Valladolid is the same one that guides our daily practice in Palma and Manacor: rigorous planning, respect for tissues, and results that the patient can see and feel from the very first day.
