Bone and Soft Tissue Response in Bone-Level Implants Restored with Platform Switching: A 5-Year Clinical Prospective...

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Periodontology
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Platform switching is a technique used in dental implants to improve soft tissue and bone response.
• Bone-level implants are designed to be placed at the bone crest.
• Long-term outcomes of platform switching in bone-level implants require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate radiographic peri-implant bone crest levels.
• To assess soft tissue response, including papilla height and buccal mucosa recession.
• To analyze outcomes of bone-level implants with platform switching at 1-year and 5-year follow-ups.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study with 67 bone-level implants utilizing platform switching.
• Periapical radiographs for marginal bone level assessment at baseline, 1 year, and 5 years.
• Photographic sequences for soft tissue analysis (papilla height, crown length) at 15 days, 1 year, and 5 years.

Main Results:

• Statistically significant differences in marginal bone level were observed between 1 and 5 years, and baseline and 5 years.
• A significant reduction in the distance from the papilla tip to the contact point was noted from 1 to 5 years and baseline to 5 years.
• No significant differences were found in apicocoronal crown length or buccal margin recession.

Conclusions:

• Platform switching in bone-level implants demonstrates statistically significant changes in peri-implant bone levels between 1 and 5 years.
• Soft tissue analysis revealed a significant reduction in papilla height over the 5-year period.
• The findings suggest favorable long-term stability for platform-switched bone-level implants regarding bone and soft tissue parameters.