Microbiological Seal of Two Types of Tapered Implant Connections

Tapered implant connections have gained wide popularity for being more resistant to fatigue and for promoting a better seal against bacterial infiltration than conventional connections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bacterial seal at the implant-abutment interface using two Morse taper implant models, by in vitro microbiological analysis. Eleven non-indexed and 11 indexed abutments were selected and connected to their respective implants with a 20 N torque, according to manufacturer's recommendation. Microbiological analysis was carried out using colonies of Escherichia coli transported directly from a culture dish to the prosthetic component. For control, one non-contaminated abutment-implant set from each group (negative control) and one contaminated implant with no abutment (positive control) were used. The specimens were immersed in BHI broth and maintained in an incubator at 37 °C for 14 days to assess the development of bacterial contamination. The results revealed that 36.4% (n=4) of the indexed components and 90.9% (n=10) of the non-indexed components allowed bacterial leakage, with significant difference between groups (p=0.0237). In conclusion, both tapered components failed to provide adequate sealing to bacterial leakage, although the indexed type components showed a superior seal compared with non-indexed components.