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Soft tissue changes and crestal bone loss around platform‐switched implants placed at crestal and subcrestal levels: 36‐month results from a prospective split‐mouth clinical trial
Author(s) -
Al Amri Mohammad D.,
AlJohany Sulieman S.,
Al Baker Abdulaziz M.,
Al Rifaiy Mohammad Q.,
Abduljabbar Tariq S.,
AlKheraif Abdulaziz A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
clinical oral implants research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.407
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1600-0501
pISSN - 0905-7161
DOI - 10.1111/clr.12990
Subject(s) - dentistry , medicine , soft tissue , orthodontics , surgery
Objective The aim of the present 36‐month prospective split‐mouth clinical trial was to investigate the peri‐implant soft tissue changes and crestal bone loss (CBL) around delayed loaded platform‐switched implants placed at crestal and subcrestal levels. Material and methods Twenty‐three individuals with bilaterally missing either mandibular first or second molars were included. The test and control sites were defined as follows: (i) test sites: implants placed 2 mm below the alveolar crest (subcrestal); (ii) control sites: implants placed at bone level (crestal). Forty‐six implants (23 implants in test sites and 23 in control sites) were placed in the center of the healed alveolar ridge in the posterior mandible. Peri‐implant bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD ≥ 4 mm), and CBL was compared at 6, 18, and 36 months of follow‐up. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Sixteen males and seven females with a mean age of 43.5 years (29–50) were included. In the control group ( n = 23), the highest mean percentage of sites that showed BOP and PD ≥ 4 mm were at 6 months (7.4% and 1.4%, respectively). In the test group ( n = 23), the highest mean percentage of sites that showed BOP and PD ≥ 4 mm were at 6 months (2.4% and 1.2%, respectively). The total amount of CBL around crestal and subcrestal implants after 36 months of loading was 0.45 ± 0.2 and 0.3 ± 0.2 mm, respectively. At all follow‐up intervals, all intragroup and intergroup comparisons showed no significant differences in BOP, PD ≥ 4 mm, and CBL around implants placed at crestal and subcrestal levels. Conclusion Up to 36 months of follow‐up, soft tissue parameters and crestal bone levels can remain equally stable around dental implants placed at crestal and subcrestal levels. The need for long‐term follow‐up clinical trials is also emphasized.