The outcome of oral implants placed in bone with limited bucco‐oral dimensions: a 3‐year follow‐up study

Aim The dimension of the alveolar bone reduces significantly after tooth loss. Clinicians consider a 1–2 mm buccal and lingual bone width mandatory around the implant at placement. This prospective study analysed the outcome of implants inserted in jaws with narrow (≤4.5 mm) buccal bone dimensions. Material and methods Twenty‐eight patients (mean age 63, 89% female) with a narrow alveolar crest (≤4.5 mm in width on CBCT ) received 100 implants (3.5 mm) via a two‐stage procedure. Intra‐oral radiographs were taken at placement, functional loading and after 1, 2 and 3‐years of follow‐up. Peri‐implant bone level alterations were recorded by two calibrated, periodontologists. Results All implants integrated and the cumulative survival rate after 3 years was 100%. The implants were inserted 0.81 mm ± 0.83 subcrestal. At functional loading the bone was located 0.65 mm ± 0.6 apical of the implant shoulder. During 3 years of loading the amount of annual marginal bone loss was 0.17 ± 0.4, 0.05 ± 0.4 and ‐ 0.06 ± 0.1 mm, respectively. Conclusion Based on these data and within the limitations of this study it became clear that implants, placed in sites with limited dimensions (≤4.5 mm width), showed minimal amounts of marginal bone loss during the first 3 years of functional loading.