Hard and soft tissue healing around implants with Ag coating: An experimental study in dogs

Introduction The purpose of this randomized controlled canine experimental study was to evaluate peri‑implant hard and soft tissue healing around implants with silver coating. Methods All mandibular premolars and molars of five male beagle dogs were extracted. 25 test and 25 control implants were randomly installed and connected with the healing abutments. After 2 and 4 month healing period, implants with soft and hard tissues were obtained for histologic and histomorphometric analysis. Results In mesio-distal sections, supracrestal tissue attachment dimensions were 4.03±0.48 mm and 4.25±0.66 mm for test and 4.34±0.6 mm and 5.21±0.72 mm for control implants at 2 and 4 month healing time. The respective crestal bone loss values were 1.10±0.69 mm and 0.74±0.67 mm for test and 1.13±0.48 mm and 1.49±0.65 mm for control implants. The differences were statistically significant only in the 4-month healing period. In buccolingual sections, supracrestal tissue attachment height at 2 and 4 month healing periods were 4.09±0.64 mm and 4.5±0.8 mm for test implants and 4.17±0.76 mm and 4.48±0.76 mm for control implants. The respective mean values for crestal bone loss were 1.31±0.6 mm and 1.02±0.58 mm for test implants, and 1.28±0.61 mm and 1.29±0.69 mm for control implants. No statistical significant differences were recorded, apart from the height of connective tissue at the 2 month healing group. No significant difference in terms of BIC between implants or healing periods was recorded. Conclusions The Ag implant coating resulted in smaller supracrestal tissue attachment dimensions and less bone loss. Within the limits of a canine study, prevention of crestal bone loss along with the effectiveness of Ag antimicrobial properties in dental implantology is demonstrated.