Stefan Fickl1,2, Christian F J Stappert3,4, Sean S Kohles5,6. 1. Private Practice, Fürth, Germany. 2. Division of Periodontology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. 3. Private Practice, Zurich, Switzerland. 4. Department of Prosthodontics, Albert-Ludwigs University, Freiburg, Germany. 5. Kohles Bioengineering, 1731 SE 37th Avenue, Portland, OR, 97214-5135, USA. ssk@kohlesbioengineering.com. 6. Division of Biomaterials & Biomechanics, School of Dentistry and Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA. ssk@kohlesbioengineering.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of internal silver coating as a countermeasure to crestal bone loss around implants with or without multiple abutment disconnections/reconnections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following tooth extraction, 48 implants with connected healing abutments (24 implants internally coated with elemental silver) were placed in the mandible of eight beagle dogs. Two months after implant surgery one side of the mandible was randomly assigned to four abutment manipulations (disconnection/reconnection) on a weekly basis. At 4 months postoperative, biopsies were obtained and prepared for histomorphometric analysis. RESULTS: Healing abutment manipulation increased crestal bone remodeling when compared to no abutment manipulation (1.28 mm versus 0.92 mm, respectively), although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.0836). Overall, an internal silver coating did not provide a statistically sufficient implant treatment characteristic as a countermeasure to crestal bone loss (p = 0.7801). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the controlled variables explored here (abutment manipulation/internal silver coating) have a limited effect on initial crestal bone loss. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Abutment manipulation during prosthetic work does not seem to harm the peri-implant soft and hard tissues.
OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of internal silver coating as a countermeasure to crestal bone loss around implants with or without multiple abutment disconnections/reconnections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following tooth extraction, 48 implants with connected healing abutments (24 implants internally coated with elemental silver) were placed in the mandible of eight beagle dogs. Two months after implant surgery one side of the mandible was randomly assigned to four abutment manipulations (disconnection/reconnection) on a weekly basis. At 4 months postoperative, biopsies were obtained and prepared for histomorphometric analysis. RESULTS: Healing abutment manipulation increased crestal bone remodeling when compared to no abutment manipulation (1.28 mm versus 0.92 mm, respectively), although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.0836). Overall, an internal silver coating did not provide a statistically sufficient implant treatment characteristic as a countermeasure to crestal bone loss (p = 0.7801). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the controlled variables explored here (abutment manipulation/internal silver coating) have a limited effect on initial crestal bone loss. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Abutment manipulation during prosthetic work does not seem to harm the peri-implant soft and hard tissues.