Ceramic implant abutments used for short-span fixed partial dentures: a prospective 2-year multicenter study

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Prosthodontics
• Implant Dentistry

Background:

• Ceramic abutments offer potential esthetic advantages over traditional titanium.
• Evaluating the clinical performance of novel ceramic abutments is crucial for their widespread adoption.
• Short-span fixed partial dentures (FPDs) are a common restorative solution in implant dentistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the short- and long-term clinical function of CerAdapt ceramic abutments.
• To compare the performance of ceramic abutments with titanium abutments in supporting FPDs.
• To evaluate patient and clinician satisfaction with esthetic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, multicenter study involving 105 implants and 32 patients.
• Placement of 53 ceramic and 50 titanium abutments supporting 36 FPDs.
• 2-year follow-up to record implant survival, FPD success, abutment complications, soft tissue health, and marginal bone levels.

Main Results:

• High cumulative survival rates for implants (97.1%) and FPDs (97.2%) after 2 years.
• Ceramic abutments demonstrated a high success rate (98.1%), with only one failure.
• Healthy peri-implant soft tissues and stable mucosal levels were observed; minimal marginal bone loss occurred, slightly more with titanium abutments.

Conclusions:

• CerAdapt ceramic abutments show encouraging 2-year clinical results for short-span FPDs.
• The performance of ceramic abutments is comparable to titanium in this initial period.
• Long-term evaluation is necessary to fully assess the prognosis of ceramic abutments due to potential static fatigue.