The esthetic management of a severe isolated periodontal defect in the maxillary anterior.

A 30-plus year-old woman presented to the periodontist with a chief complaint concerning the esthetics of the black space between her maxillary right lateral and central incisors (Figure 1). The history of the problem dated back several years when her general dentist noted increased pocket depth in this area. The patient was referred to a periodontist who elected to attempt grafting in this site to improve both the bone and soft tissue. The patient reported that after the initial surgery the defect became significantly worse and a large quantity of gingival tissue was lost. The patient was then referred to a second periodontist who, after evaluation, also chose to attempt both a bone and soft tissue grafting procedure and again the defect became worse. At that point the second periOdontist referred the patient to the periodontist in our group for evaluation and treatment. At her initial consultation the patient indicated she had been managing the defect esthetically by placing pink wax into the large open space every day to minimize the appearance.