Guided Periodontal Surgery: Association of Digital Workflow and Piezosurgery for the Correction of a Gummy Smile

Abstract

Digital flow has become a part of currently practiced dentistry. Virtual planning ensures predictable aesthetic and functional rehabilitation, painless postoperative recovery, and better communication with patients, thus meeting their expectations. The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate the digital planning for the correction of a gummy smile with a personalized preparation using a piezoelectric surgical guide (PerioGuide) for gingival contouring and flapless osteotomy. The guide was designed using Nemo Studio software, based on the patient’s facial aesthetic analysis, through photos, videos, and facial scanning. These images were aligned with the scan and placed over the cone beam computed gingival tomography for prediction of results, based not only on the distance from the cementoenamel junction to the bone crest but also on the best gingival margin contour according to virtual aesthetic planning. Digital planning, combined with the use of a piezoelectric device, allows for a flapless guided surgical technique for gingival contouring and osteotomy. As a result, the surgical procedure is safer, faster, and more predictable with better postoperative outcomes.