Evaluation of human periimplant soft tissues around nonsubmerged machined standard and platform-switched abutments.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effect of the platform-switching phenomenon, the use of a smaller diameter abutment on a larger diameter implant platform. Clinical and histological outcomes of the periimplant mucosa around titanium abutments in a nonsubmerged implant were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten healthy adult patients, ranging from 27 to 65 years, participated in the study. A minimum of 2 endosseous implants with immediate abutment connection was placed per patient, 1 conventional and 1 platform-switched abutment. All sites for implant placement had an adequate zone of keratinized mucosa before surgical intervention. RESULTS: No clinical signs of inflammation were observed in the periimplant soft tissue mucosa, and healing was uneventful throughout the study period. Histological findings showed abnormally thick stratified squamous epithelium for both groups with few inflammatory cells in the connective tissue and none on the surface of the epithelium. CONCLUSION: Histological findings for both conventional and platform-switched implant-abutment configurations showed a similar composition of the soft tissue. These findings were in direct agreement with previous studies.

Evaluation of human peri-implant soft tissues around alumina-blasted/acid-etched standard and platform-switched abutments.

This study evaluated the histometric characteristics of the peri-implant mucosa of human subjects that received textured implant abutments with conventional (implant and abutment with same diameter) or platform-switched (implant diameter wider than that of the abutment) configurations. Wider and longer connective tissue around platform-switched implants was observed compared to that with conventional abutments. Despite the different dimensions between the two abutment types, the abutment-soft tissue interaction was similar for both groups at the histometric level.