Status of teeth adjacent to single-tooth implants

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Periodontology
• Prosthodontics

Background:

• Single-tooth implants are a common restorative solution.
• Assessing the long-term health of adjacent natural teeth is crucial for treatment success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the crown and periodontal status of teeth adjacent to single-tooth implants.
• To assess implant survival and prosthetic complication rates.
• To investigate factors influencing bone resorption around adjacent teeth.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study followed 78 single-tooth implants and 148 adjacent teeth for a mean of 58 months.
• Implant survival, peri-implant health, and prosthetic complications were recorded.
• Periodontal status and crown integrity of adjacent teeth were assessed at baseline and follow-up.
• Horizontal distance to adjacent teeth and its effect on bone resorption were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Excellent implant survival (one loss) and low prosthetic complication rates (three crown fractures).
• High proportion of intact adjacent teeth with no need for extraction or endodontic treatment.
• No significant changes in periodontal indices (plaque, bleeding, pocket depth) of adjacent teeth.
• Significant influence of horizontal distance on approximal bone loss in the anterior region.

Conclusions:

• Teeth adjacent to single-tooth implants demonstrate excellent long-term crown and periodontal health.
• The horizontal distance between the implant and adjacent tooth is a significant factor affecting approximal bone crest reduction, particularly in the anterior region.