Periotest: an objective clinical diagnosis of bone apposition toward implants.

Implant mobility as an indicator of failing close bone apposition is generally known. Whereas a clearly visible mobility can always be correlated with an interposition of soft tissue, the range from a clinically firm implant to just tangible implant mobility represents the actual problem zone. Thirty consecutive patients who had mandibles restored with osseointegrated implants ad modum Brånemark were tested with the Periotest device for damping characteristics of the implants and the peri-implant tissues as a whole. The mean Periotest value (PTV) was -1.74. The characteristics of the mandible, the peri-implant tissue, and the abutment length are the determining factors for the PTV. Fixture length, dolder bar, and length of time in function had no significant influence on the PTV.