Laterally Rotated Flap for Soft Tissue Augmentation Around Maxillary Loaded Osseointegrated Dental Implant

"Laterally Rotated Flap: A Split-thickness recipient bed on the buccal and mesial aspects of the implant was prepared, resulting in a firm attached bleeding area. The extension of the incisions towards the palate and the distance between them are dependent on the amount of keratinized tissue graft needed for each particular case. Habitually, the keratinized tissue is taken from the adjacent crest; however, if needed to displace more tissue, the incisions may be extended into the palatal tissue. The flap was prepared partial thickness, and released apically from the periosteum to allow passive displacement, and suturing without tension. It was latero-mesially displaced with a 90º rotation. The pedicle was sutured to the recipient bed.~Control group: The surgical procedure followed the design proposed by Sullivans \& Atkins 1968 for soft tissue augmentation around teeth and modified by for application around oseointegrated dental implants."