Long-Term Clinical and Radiographic Observation of Periimplant Tissues After Autogenous Soft Tissue Grafts

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the periimplant tissues after autogenous soft tissue graft (ASTG) during 15 years of follow-up. Materials and Methods: The clinical parameters, dimension of keratinized mucosa (KM), and marginal bone loss of 50 patients with 127 implants were followed up and their relationships were assessed at 15-year follow-up. In addition, clinical and radiographic parameters of 11 patients who had both autogenous soft tissue grafted (n = 21 implants) and nongrafted (n = 21 implants) sides were compared. Results: The thickness of the KM was related to the width of the KM (P < 0.01) and mucosal recession (P < 0.05); however, there was no significant association between marginal bone loss and dimension of the KM. The autogenous soft tissue grafted group showed statistically significantly lower modified bleeding index, wider and thicker KM than the nongrafted group. However, the modified plaque index, probing depth, and marginal bone loss did not show any significant differences between 2 groups. Conclusions: This 15-year follow-up study shows that the thickness or width of KM is not related to the marginal bone loss around implants. However, it seems that ASTG can be beneficial for preventing mucosal recession and soft tissue inflammation around dental implants.