Implant-Abutment Connections: A Structured Review.

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Biomaterials Science
• Oral Surgery

Background:

• Dental implant success relies on stable hard and soft tissues.
• Abutment connections and platform switching are critical factors influencing peri-implant tissue health.
• Understanding these elements is crucial for predictable long-term outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a structured review of studies on dental implant abutment connections.
• To evaluate the concept of platform switching and its impact on oral hard and soft tissues.
• To synthesize current evidence favoring specific connection types and platform switching strategies.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive electronic literature search was performed across PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, and Embase.
• Articles focused on "Implant abutment connection" and "platform switching" were identified.
• A total of 19 articles were included after applying strict inclusion and exclusion criteria to an initial pool of 248 studies.

Main Results:

• The majority of reviewed literature supports the use of internal implant abutment connections.
• Incorporating platform switching in conjunction with internal connections demonstrated positive effects.
• Favorable hard and soft tissue outcomes were consistently associated with these configurations.

Conclusions:

• Internal implant abutment connections are generally preferred for optimal peri-implant esthetics and health.
• Platform switching, when used with internal connections, significantly contributes to maintaining hard and soft tissue volume.
• Current evidence suggests these approaches are key to achieving satisfactory long-term results in dental implantology.