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Influence of Vertical Soft Tissue Thickness on Crestal Bone Changes Around Implants with Platform Switching: A
Tomas Linkevicius1,2,3, Algirdas Puisys2,3, Marius Steigmann4
1Institute of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research
|March 29, 2014
Summary
Platform switching preserves crestal bone in thick soft tissue but not in thin tissue. Initial mucosal thickness is critical for managing bone loss around dental implants.
Area of Science:
- Dental Implantology
- Periodontology
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Platform-switched implants are recognized for superior crestal bone preservation compared to platform-matched implants.
- The impact of initial soft tissue thickness on crestal bone loss around platform-switched implants remains under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess crestal bone levels around platform-switched implants in relation to initial mucosal tissue thickness.
- To determine if soft tissue thickness influences the efficacy of platform switching in preventing bone loss.
Main Methods:
- Eighty patients received 80 bone-level, platform-switched implants (4.1 mm diameter).
- Patients were categorized into thin (≤2 mm) and thick (>2 mm) soft tissue groups (n=40 each).
- Crestal bone loss was evaluated radiographically at 2 months and 1-year post-restoration.
Main Results:
- Implants in the thin tissue group exhibited 0.79 mm bone loss at 2 months and 1.17 mm at 1 year.
- Implants in the thick tissue group showed significantly less bone loss: 0.17 mm at 2 months and 0.21 mm at 1 year (p < .001).
Conclusions:
- Platform switching alone does not prevent crestal bone loss in cases with initially thin mucosal tissue.
- Thick soft tissue at implant placement is associated with minimal crestal bone remodeling when using platform-switched implants.
