Keratinized mucosa changes around one-stage implants: A prospective case series

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Dental Implantology
• Oral Surgery

Background:

• The necessity of adequate keratinized tissue (KT) for periodontal health around teeth and implants remains a long-standing debate with no definitive conclusions.
• Maintaining sufficient keratinized mucosa (KM) is crucial for the long-term success and health of dental implants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate changes in keratinized mucosa (KM) width and soft tissue volume around non-submerged implants.
• To assess these soft tissue alterations prior to prosthetic rehabilitation in a series of patients.

Main Methods:

• A prospective case series involving 40 patients undergoing dental implant procedures.
• Measurement of KM width at buccal and lingual aspects, comparing pre-existing KT with measurements at baseline (T0) and 3 months post-surgery (T1) using intra-oral scanning.
• Assessment of buccal soft tissue volume at 1, 3, and 5 mm apical to the healing abutment, comparing T0 and T1 using statistical analysis (Student t-test, Shapiro-Wilk).

Main Results:

• Baseline mean KT width was 4.54 mm (buccal) and 5.04 mm (lingual).
• After 3 months, mean KM width decreased significantly to 3.15 mm (buccal, 30.6% reduction) and 3.72 mm (lingual, 26.1% reduction).
• Buccal soft tissue volume demonstrated a statistically significant increase between baseline and the 3-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Significant dimensional changes in KM width were observed at both buccal and lingual aspects within 3 months post-implant surgery.
• The study indicates a reduction in KM width but an increase in buccal soft tissue volume around implants during the observed period.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of these dynamic soft tissue changes for long-term implant outcomes.