Narrow diameter implants to replace congenital missing maxillary lateral incisors: A 1-year prospective, controlled,...

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Prosthodontics
• Oral Surgery

Background:

• Congenitally missing lateral incisors (MLIs) present a common clinical challenge.
• Narrow-diameter implants (NDIs) offer a solution for limited interdental spaces.
• Evaluating the efficacy of newly developed NDIs is crucial for treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess clinical, radiographic, esthetic, and patient-reported outcomes of 2.9mm NDIs compared to 3.3mm implants.
• To evaluate the reliability of NDIs in patients with MLIs.
• To analyze implant survival rates, bone level changes, and complications.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study included 100 patients with MLIs receiving either 2.9mm (Test) or 3.3mm (Control) implants.
• Cement-retained bi-layered zirconia crowns were placed after a healing period.
• Outcomes were assessed at 1-year follow-up, including implant survival, crestal bone level (CBL) changes, complications, esthetics (Copenhagen index), and patient-reported outcomes (OHIP-49).

Main Results:

• Implant survival rate was 99% with no significant difference between groups (p=1.000).
• Crestal bone level changes were minimal and comparable (-0.19mm for 2.9mm vs. -0.25mm for 3.3mm, p=0.342).
• Favorable esthetic outcomes and low rates of biological/technical complications were observed in both groups, with no statistically significant differences.

Conclusions:

• 2.9mm diameter implants are a reliable treatment option for MLIs, comparable to 3.3mm implants.
• Both implant sizes provide similar outcomes regarding bone stability and complication rates.
• Favorable esthetic and patient-reported outcomes support the use of NDIs in this patient population.