Marginal Bone Maintenance and Different Prosthetic Emergence Angles: A 3-Year Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Prosthodontics
• Periodontology

Background:

• Marginal bone loss is a key concern in dental implant success.
• The prosthetic emergence profile angle may influence peri-implant bone stability.
• Understanding factors affecting bone levels is crucial for long-term implant outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of different prosthetic emergence profile angles on marginal bone level changes around dental implants.
• To compare marginal bone level changes in implants with emergence angles >30° versus ≤30°.
• To assess peri-implant soft tissue parameters in relation to emergence profile angles.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study analyzing 312 implants in 74 patients over 3 years.
• Categorization into two groups based on emergence profile angle: >30° (Group 1) and ≤30° (Group 2).
• Measurement of marginal bone levels (MBL) at prosthesis installation and 3-year follow-up; assessment of modified bleeding index (MBI) and plaque index (PI).

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in mean marginal bone level change between the two groups (0.06 ± 0.09 mm vs. 0.06 ± 0.10 mm, p = 0.969).
• Mean emergence angles were 45 ± 4° for Group 1 and 22 ± 7° for Group 2.
• Peri-implant soft tissue parameters (MBI, PI) were also assessed but not detailed in the abstract's main findings.

Conclusions:

• The emergence profile angle does not appear to significantly influence marginal bone level changes in implants with stable internal conical connections and platform-switching.
• Long-term marginal bone stability around dental implants may be maintained irrespective of the emergence profile angle under specific prosthetic conditions.
• Further research could explore other prosthetic or patient-related factors influencing peri-implant bone health.