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Evidence-Based
Implant Dentistry
123
Evidence-Based Implant Dentistry
Oreste Iocca
Editor
Evidence-Based Implant
Dentistry
Editor
Oreste Iocca
International Medical School
Sapienza University of Rome
Rome, Italy
v
vi Preface
vii
Contents
ix
Contributors
xi
Introduction to Evidence-Based
Implant Dentistry
1
Oreste Iocca
Abstract
Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) concepts are of extraordinary importance
for a good clinical practice. The clinician, the patient, and the scientific
evidence are the three main components of EBD, whose integration
involves the application of four steps: formulating of a question, getting
the evidence, appraising the evidence, and applying the evidence.
Evidence-based information comes from electronic databases and hand
searches with the use of appropriate bibliographic techniques. Basic
knowledge of the methodologies used in observational and experimental
studies will allow to perform a critical appraisal of the available evidence.
Finally, the application of the evidence-based information to the clinical
scenario needs a quality assessment of the studies and is possible only
when internal and external validity are high.
All of these factors apply to all fields of medi- to measure the odds of exposure among cases
cine, including dentistry and its subspecialties. versus a control group. In this way, we select a
Luckily, the term evidence-based dentistry (EBD) group of patients that had the implant fracture
is now of common use among dental practitio- complication (rare outcome cases) and a control
ners who are eager to put in practice the above- group (implant patients without implant frac-
mentioned principles [3]. ture); in other words, we analyze the two groups
Nevertheless, even the most scrupulous clini- retrospectively in order to understand why the
cian may encounter difficulties in staying updated rare adverse event occurred in the case group in
with the overwhelming amount of evidence avail- respect to the control group. It is evident that a
able today. RCT in order to identify a rare outcome would
Development of specific sets of knowledge not be indicated because a rare complication/dis-
spanning from bibliographic research to statisti- ease may not occur even with long follow-up
cal test interpretation is fundamental in order to periods.
address all the four steps of the good EBD In summary, RCTs are at the top of the pyra-
practice. mid because they actually give the best evidence,
The definition of best scientific evidence by but this does not mean that observational studies
itself may generate some confusion. It can be should be considered useless. On the contrary,
defined as the information derived from a prop- researchers and readers of the scientific literature
erly conducted research or study aimed at prov- must be able to understand the extent to which a
ing or countering a scientific hypothesis. particular study design is indicated to answer a
The evidence pyramid (Fig. 1.1) has been specific question.
designed to graphically categorize the quality of The peer-review process ensures quality con-
various study designs, from the lowest to the trol over the evidence-based knowledge. Indeed,
highest [4]. a biomedical research is not usually considered
Although it is true that the best study design is worthy of consideration until it is not validate by
the RCT, it should be understood that performing peer review.
a RCT is not always feasible or indicated. In fact, This process is similar in the majority of the
there are situations in which observational stud- medical and dental journals. An author submits
ies are preferable. For example, if a rare compli- a manuscript which is received by the editor of
cation like implant fracture is studied, it would be the journal who assesses if the work is suitable
better to adopt a casecontrol design that allows for publication. If the manuscript is considered
for publication, it needs to be further reviewed.
Usually two additional reviewers (normally
experts in their given scientific area) receive
Meta
Reviews
the manuscript at this point. Usually the
Meta-Analysis
reviewers are unaware of the names of the
Systematic authors in order to ensure integrity of the
Reviews
review process. Once the reviewers accept to
Randomized
Controlled Trials review the manuscript, the actual peer-review
process begins.
Cohort Studies
Many journals have their own checklists for
assessing quality of the manuscript, but a specific
Case control studies
evaluation depends upon the type of study sub-
Case reports, Case series
mitted (case report, randomized clinical trial,
systematic review, etc.). Evaluation focuses on
Expert opinions title and abstract, study design and methodology,
soundness of the results, discussion, and
Fig. 1.1 Evidence-based pyramid conclusions.
1 Introduction to Evidence-Based Implant Dentistry 3
The reviewers send their evaluation to the edi- The PICO elements can help in formulating a
tor, who finally makes the decision of accepting, structured question:
revising, or refusing the manuscript. In any case,
the authors are informed of the final decision; if Population patients undergoing implant treatment
revision is required (as it usually happens for Intervention platform-switched implant insertion
accepted manuscripts), the process is repeated. Comparison nonplatform-switched implant
Although subjectivity and biases in the evalu- insertion
ation process may occur, the peer-review mecha- Outcome marginal bone resorption in millimeters
nism is still considered the best way of performing measured clinically or radiographically
high-quality dissemination of the scientific
knowledge. Once the question is clearly stated and deemed
important for the clinical practice, the next step
involves the application of defined criteria for the
1.2 EBD in Practice search of relevant evidence from the scientific lit-
erature that may help in answering the question.
1.2.1 Formulating a Question
Unresolved questions, most of the times, arise 1.2.2 Getting the Evidence
from specific clinical scenarios. These can refer
to etiologic, diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeu- Today the strategies adopted for searching for the
tic issues. available studies of interest are conducted mostly
A good question is the one that, once through the use of electronic databases. Although
answered, would provide useful and applicable manual searches are still considered important in
information for the practicing clinician. In other order to get studies not retrieved by digital sys-
words, it should be established if the question is tems due to the date of publishing (old studies
important for the clinical practice, if it can be may not be present in electronic databases) or
generalized to a whole population, and if it can because of non-indexed publications.
be incorporated in the everyday practice by the Medical bibliographic databases have the
clinicians. function of large catalogs that points to informa-
Framing a good question, although it may seem tion found elsewhere. Undoubtedly, the United
easy, requires skills and expertise in order to not States National Library of Medicine (NLM) of
get lost in the quest for evidence. A well-formulated the National Institute of Health in Bethesda,
question takes into account the so-called PICO Maryland, is the most known and used database
elements, in detail the Population of interest, the for medical research worldwide. A division of the
Intervention of interest, the Comparison or the ref- NLM, the National Center for Biotechnology
erence against which we compare the intervention, Information (NCBI), was created to allow medi-
and the Outcome of the intervention we are cal and biotechnology researchers worldwide an
studying. automated tool to retrieve scientific information.
For example, a question may be related to Most of the researchers are familiar with
platform switching, in order to understand if this MEDLINE which is the searchable citation index
particular platform configuration gives an database of the NLM of which PubMed is its
advantage in terms of prevention of marginal online search engine. PubMed provides links to
bone resorption. The question format should be full-text articles of the scientific publishers
something similar to this: what is the effective- indexed in MEDLINE. Moreover, PubMed
ness of platform switching in reducing or elimi- Central is a digital archive of selected free full-
nating the marginal bone resorption over time text articles, on various medical and biological
when compared to nonplatform-switched topics, accessible by the PubMed users regard-
configurations? less of the sources.
4 O. Iocca
etiologic risk factors or association of particular Typically the recruited subjects are those
conditions with a given disease. One characteris- afferent to a hospital or a department but anyway
tic of this design is the evaluation of exposure considered representative of an entire population.
and outcome at a point in time, with no follow-up The control subjects are selected randomly by the
period. In other words, being conducted at a spe- same population with the sole exclusion criteria
cific time point, the evaluation is on the prevalence of having the same disease as the case group; the
of a particular disease and not on the incidence presence of other diseases or conditions does not
(which supposes an evaluation of a healthy popu- constitute reason for exclusion in order to avoid
lation over time). the phenomenon of hyperselection.
The chosen population is identified on the After selection of case and control groups,
basis of the hypothesis that inspires the study, data is analyzed retrospectively in order to iden-
often on diseases and conditions that have a high tify any association between an exposure and the
prevalence in the population. outcome of interest.
For example, a typical cross-sectional study For example, the association between IL-1
can be aimed at assessing the discomfort or pain gene polymorphisms and early implant failure
associated with pocket probing in patients with can be analyzed selecting from the same clinic a
peri-implant and periodontal pockets. In the group of patients experiencing early implant loss
study by Ringeling and coll [25]. Pain referred by (cases) and a control group of patients with
the patient with a VAS score was measured in implants still in place [22]. All patients matched
each group in order to determine any difference for age, gender, and smoking habits. Then an
in intensity of pain between peri-implant probing allele and genotype analysis from a blood sample
and periodontal probing. Studies of this kind allowed the study of the association between spe-
allow to take a snapshot of the association of cific IL-1 polymorphisms and early implant
increased/decreased pain. failure.
The main advantage of this design is the This is a typical example of retrospective anal-
lack of follow-up period which allow to per- ysis in which a biologic sample (blood) is used as
form the study rapidly and with less expenses. an indicator of previous risk (the presence of spe-
On the other hand, missing the temporality, it cific gene polymorphisms) for a given outcome
becomes difficult to establish a causality (implant loss).
between the exposure and the condition of Advantages of this design consist in rapid
interest. completion of the study because no follow-up
Regarding the previous example, once it was time is required. Also, in contrast to random
established that pain scores were higher in case selection from the population, the selection of
of peri-implant probing, it remained difficult to specific cases of interest allows to study even rare
ascertain if this was due to the mere presence of cases that in a cohort population would not occur
the implant or to confounding factors (age, con- frequently.
current diseases, psychological factors, etc.), but Shortcomings include the difficulty in select-
on the other hand, results were suggestive of the ing a matching control group and the retrospec-
association at that point in time. tive design which is prone to biases.
Less commonly, a casecontrol study can be
CaseControl Studies performed with a prospective design, even if in
These studies are characterized by the particular this case there is the necessity to wait until
modality of selection of the patients chosen for enough cases have been accumulated.
examination. In fact, a group of patients will be A nested casecontrol study instead is per-
selected for the presence of a disease/condition formed during a cohort or RCT study. In this case
(case group) and another group will be selected a group of cases part of the original study are
for the absence of the same disease/condition compared to a control group from the same study
(control group). that did not have the outcome of interest.
6 O. Iocca
Casecontrol studyfor matched studies, give matching criteria and the number of controls per case
Variables 7 Clearly define all outcomes, exposures, predictors, potential confounders, and effect modifiers. Give diagnostic criteria, if
applicable
Data sources/ 8a For each variable of interest, give sources of data and details of methods of assessment (measurement).
measurement Describe comparability of assessment methods if there is more than one group
Bias 9 Describe any efforts to address potential sources of bias
Study size 10 Explain how the study size was arrived at
Quantitative variables 11 Explain how quantitative variables were handled in the analyses. If applicable, describe which groupings were chosen, and
why
Statistical methods 12 (a) Describe all statistical methods, including those used to control for confounding
(b) Describe any methods used to examine subgroups and interactions
(c) Explain how missing data were addressed
(d) Cohort studyif applicable, explain how loss to follow-up was addressed
Casecontrol studyif applicable, explain how matching of cases and controls was addressed
Cross-sectional studyif applicable, describe analytical methods taking account of sampling strategy
(e) Describe any sensitivity analyses
(continued)
7
8
Table 1.1 (continued)
Item number Recommendation
Results
Participants 13a (a) Report the numbers of individuals at each stage of the studye.g., numbers potentially eligible, examined for eligibility,
confirmed eligible, included in the study, completing follow-up, and analyzed
(b) Give reasons for non-participation at each stage
(c) Consider use of a flow diagram
Descriptive 14a (a) Give characteristics of study participants (e.g., demographic, clinical, social) and information on exposures and potential
data confounders
(b) Indicate the number of participants with missing data for each variable of interest
(c) Cohort studysummarize follow-up time (e.g., average and total amount)
Outcome data 15a Cohort studyreport numbers of outcome events or summary measures over time
Casecontrol studyreport numbers in each exposure category, or summary measures of exposure
Cross-sectional studyreport numbers of outcome events or summary measures
Main results 16 (a) Give unadjusted estimates and, if applicable, confounder-adjusted estimates and their precision (e.g., 95 % confidence
interval). Make clear which confounders were adjusted for and why they were included
(b) Report category boundaries when continuous variables were categorized
(c) If relevant, consider translating estimates of relative risk into absolute risk for a meaningful time period
Other analyses 17 Report other analyses donee.g., analyses of subgroups and interactions, and sensitivity analyses
Discussion
Key results 18 Summarize key results with reference to study objectives
Limitations 19 Discuss limitations of the study, taking into account sources of potential bias or imprecision. Discuss both direction and
magnitude of any potential bias
Interpretation 20 Give a cautious overall interpretation of results considering objectives, limitations, multiplicity of analyses, results from
similar studies, and other relevant evidence
Generalizability 21 Discuss the generalizability (external validity) of the study results
Other information
Funding 22 Give the source of funding and the role of the funders for the present study and, if applicable, for the original study on which
the present article is based
a
Give such information separately for cases and controls in casecontrol studies, and, if applicable, for exposed and unexposed groups in cohort and cross-sectional studies. Note:
An Explanation and Elaboration article discusses each checklist item and gives methodological background and published examples of transparent reporting. The STROBE
checklist is best used in conjunction with this article (freely available on the Web sites of PLoS Medicine at http://www.plosmedicine.org/, Annals of Internal Medicine at http://
www.annals.org/, and Epidemiology at http://www.epidem.com/). Separate versions of the checklist for cohort, casecontrol, and cross-sectional studies are available on the
STROBE Web site at http://www.strobe-statement.org/
O. Iocca
1 Introduction to Evidence-Based Implant Dentistry 9
Most importantly, RCTs allow to face the Double blinding can be a confusing term
issue of unknown confounders through the pro- because it usually refers to three categories
cess of randomization. This is important because unaware of the treatment administered: the
random distribution of study subjects allows to patient, the investigator, and the assessor.
have matched variables equally distributed in the Triple blinding is the same of double blinding
control and treatment group. In simple terms, if but with the adjunct that a blind data analysis
unknown confounders cannot be controlled, they is performed.
are at least equally distributed in the two groups
(or arms); this should result in the greatest prob- Blinding is considered to reduce the biases
ability that the intervention is causally related to that may come from knowing the assigned treat-
the outcome. ment. It is clear that awareness of the treatment
Three types of randomization are usually per- assigned on the part of the dentist, the patient, or
formed (simple, blocked, and stratified): the investigator may influence their behavior and
impair the validity of the results.
Simple randomization is the casual allocation Sometimes it is not possible to blind one of the
of studied subjects in the control or treated categories in the study. For example, in a RCT
group; in this way, the allocation ratio can be involving the evaluation of short versus long
unequal, especially for small samples a simple implants, the clinician performing the surgery
random allocation can result in substantial will know which implant is placing, and in this
imbalance (e.g., 3:1, 4:1, etc.). way, blinding is impossible for him, although in
Block randomization refers to the casual allo- this case it is probably not important for the
cation of patients in small groups including validity of the study.
equal number of subjects, which is particu- Regarding the analysis of the results of RCT,
larly useful in multicenter studies in order to three approaches are usually employed (Fig. 1.2):
maintain an equal ratio between the treatment
and control groups (1:1). Intention-to-treat analysis (ITT) refers to
Stratified randomization allows to randomize counting the patient in its assigned group
according to specific strata like age, gender, regardless of dropouts or death during the
etc., in case a difference is known between study. In other words, once randomized to a
groups (e.g., older patients may have worst given group (so there is the intention to admin-
outcomes for a given surgical procedures). ister the treatment), whether or not he will
ever receive the assigned treatment, he will be
The term allocation concealment refers to the analyzed as having received it. One may asks
fact that those recruiting the patients are not why counting a patient that actually never
informed about to which arm the next patient will received a treatment or dropped out from the
be allocated. This is usually performed adopting study. The answer is that this approach pre-
an external randomization center which does serves randomization. Indeed if more patients
not know anything about the patients but just drop out from a given arm because of more
assigns them to a random group according to the adverse events compared to the other arm, and
randomization type. analysis is performed only on patients finish-
Another important concept applicable to ing the trial, an imbalance is created between
RCTs is the blinding [8]: the two groups and validity of the results is
compromised. In summary, the aim of ITT
Single blinding means that one of the catego- analysis is to maintain the two groups as equal
ries participating in the study does not know as possible avoiding biases and preventing the
what kind of intervention is receiving (treat- loss of randomization process.
ment or placebo, treatment A or treatment B, As-treated analysis considers only the patient
etc.); usually this refers to the patient. that actually received a given treatment. This
10 O. Iocca
analysis may be important when patients need RCT aimed at establishing a difference in out-
to be switched from one arm to another as it is comes between a particular implant surface and
the case for patients assigned to a medical another. On the other hand, the so-called surro-
treatment arm, but for some reason, they need gate end points are sometimes used in order to
a surgery, and so they are reassigned to the gain conclusions regarding the primary (or true)
surgical group. This is a loss of randomization end point. This is the case, for example, of some
and may impair the validity of the analysis. peri-implantitis treatment studies in which surro-
Also, the blinding is usually compromised in gate end points such as pocket probing depth,
this case. clinical attachment level, and bleeding on prob-
Per-protocol analysis evaluates only patients ing are used instead of the true outcome (implant
that complete the trial and are fully compliant loss). Sometimes this is necessary because evalu-
with the assigned treatment. Again, this leads ation of the true end point would require exces-
to a loss of randomization, and the loss of sive follow-up or larger samples. The problem in
information regarding the noncompliant this case is that validation of surrogate end points
patients does not allow an evaluation of is not always clear and is an argument of debate
confounders. if a study using only surrogate end points gives
reliable results.
Finally, selection of the outcome to evaluate in In order to improve the quality of performed
the trial should be taken into consideration. RCT, a group of experts comprising editors, trial-
Although it may seem an easy task in some situ- ists, and methodologists gathered in Ottawa,
ations, it can become difficult in others. For Canada, in 1993, in order to discuss various top-
example, implant survival, which is a true end ics about RCTs. In subsequent meetings, a docu-
point, can be considered easy to evaluate in a ment collecting a set of recommendations was
Fig. 1.2 Schematization of the analytic approaches to received a given treatment; in this case, the patient was
randomized clinical trials. 1, Intention-to-treat analysis reassigned to the control group because he did not receive
(ITT) in which the patient assigned to a given group will the experimental treatment. 3, Per-protocol analysis eval-
be counted in his assigned group regardless of dropout or uates only the patients that complete the trial; in this case,
death. 2, As-treated analysis considers only patients that the patient dropped out or died and he will not be counted
1 Introduction to Evidence-Based Implant Dentistry 11
produced which finally led to the publication of In the same fashion as for RCTs, a group of
the CONSORT (CONsolidated Standard of experts developed a checklist which should aid
Reporting Trials) statement [9]. This is a check- the reviewers to improve the reporting of system-
list of items deemed essential for optimal report- atic reviews and is called the PRISMA statement
ing of a clinical trial; its objective is to help (Table 1.3) [11].
authors in improving the reporting of their trials. Systematic review data can be aggregated and
The checklist includes recommendation for put in context in order to draw a general conclu-
the title and abstract, the introduction, the meth- sion on a given topic or, if data is homogenous
ods, the results, discussion, and additional infor- enough, further analyzed and manipulated in the
mation (Table 1.2). form of meta-analysis.
Meta-analysis is a statistical technique that
1.2.3.3 Systematic Reviews allows to combine the evidence coming from
and Meta-analysis multiple studies and can help in giving a precise
Systematic reviews and meta-analysis are at the estimate of the effects of given intervention [12].
top of the evidence pyramid because they collect A good meta-analysis starts with good-quality
all the available evidence with scientific rigor and systematic review. The findings of the systematic
give the possibility of synthesizing a huge amount review and its relative data are combined using
of data in a single study. appropriate statistical methods.
Systematic reviews are aimed at identifying Meta-analyses are important because it
all the relevant published studies on a given topic, allows to answer questions that single studies
assessing the quality of each, and interpreting the are unable to do. This is due to the fact that
findings in an impartial way [10]. combining data coming from multiple studies
The need of systematically collecting the theoretically is like enlarging the sample popu-
available evidence comes from the fact that huge lation, and in this way, it is possible to obtain
amount of information is published every year, statistically significant results. Anyway, it is
and keeping up with the primary research evi- clear that such analysis is limited by the quality
dence may become impossible. of the underlying primary studies. When pri-
Development of a systematic review, usually mary studies of good quality are lacking, this
performed by two reviewers, requires the for- may lead to unclear or biased results or, in some
mulation of a clear question, and this can be cases, impossibility of performing the analysis
accomplished with the PICO elements. Then at all [1316].
the published evidence is searched carefully
using all the database available and with hand- 1.2.3.4 Systematic Review
searching. Reviewers can choose to include of Systematic Reviews
only RCTs or studies of lower quality as well. and Meta-analyses
After collection of all the possible studies, an The last step in the search of evidence for health-
assessment is done regarding the eligibility of care interventions is the systematic review of
the studies according to predetermined exclu- systematic reviews and meta-analyses (meta-
sion and inclusion criteria; this selection is reviews) [17].
usually performed on the basis of the abstracts. One of the problems faced by clinicians
In this way, all the relevant studies considered appraising the literature is to encounter multiple
for the inclusion pass to the full-text phase in reviews and meta-analysis on the same topic that
which the authors of the review perform a come to different results. Performing a meta-
methodological quality assessment in which review may allow to the creation of a summary of
ulterior studies of poor quality are excluded. all the available reviews in a single document.
Finally, the data of all the studies is extracted This can be helpful in drawing general conclu-
and usually graphically represented in a sions and arrive at more informed evidence-based
summary table. decisions. Meta-reviews are performed in a
12
Table 1.2 CONSORT 2010 checklist of information to include when reporting a randomized trial
Section/topic Item no Checklist item Reported on page no
Title and abstract
la Identification as a randomized trial in the title
lb Structured summary of trial design, methods, results, and conclusions (for specific guidance see
CONSORT for abstracts45 65)
Introduction
Background and objectives 2a Scientific background and explanation of rationale
2b Specific objectives or hypotheses
Methods
Trial design 3a Description of trial design (such as parallel, factorial) including allocation ratio
3b Important changes to methods after trial commencement (such as eligibility criteria), with reasons
Participants 4a Eligibility criteria for participants
4b Settings and locations where the data were collected
Interventions 5 The interventions for each group with sufficient details to allow replication, including how and
when they were actually administered
Outcomes 6a Completely defined prespecified primary and secondary outcome measures, including how and
when they were assessed
6b Any changes to trial outcomes after the trial commenced, with reasons
Sample size 7a How sample size was determined
7b When applicable, explanation of any interim analyses and stopping guidelines
Randomization:
Sequence generation 8a Method used to generate the random allocation sequence
8b Type of randomization; details of any restriction (such as blocking and block size)
Allocation concealment 9 Mechanism used to implement the random allocation sequence (such as sequentially numbered
mechanism containers), describing any steps taken to conceal the sequence until interventions were assigned
Implementation 10 Who generated the random allocation sequence, who enrolled participants, and who assigned
participants to interventions
Blinding 11a If done, who was blinded after assignment to interventions (e.g., participants, care providers, those
assessing outcomes) and how
11b If relevant, description of the similarity of interventions
Statistical methods 12a Statistical methods used to compare groups for primary and secondary outcomes
12b Methods for additional analyses, such as subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses
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1
Results
Participant flow (a diagram is 13a For each group, the numbers of participants who were randomly assigned, received intended
strongly recommended) treatment, and were analyzed for the primary outcome
13b For each group, losses and exclusions after randomization, together with reasons
Recruitment 14a Dates defining the periods of recruitment and follow-up
14b Why the trial ended or was stopped
Baseline data 15 A table showing baseline demographic and clinical characteristics for each group
Numbers analysed 16 For each group, number of participants (denominator) included in each analysis and whether the
analysis was by original assigned groups
Outcomes and estimation 17a For each primary and secondary outcome, results for each group, and the estimated effect size and
its precision (such as 95 % confidence interval)
17b For binary outcomes, presentation of both absolute and relative effect sizes is recommended
Ancillary analyses 18 Results of any other analyses performed, including subgroup analyses and adjusted analyses,
distinguishing prespecified from exploratory
Harms 19 All important harms or unintended effects in each group
Discussion
Introduction to Evidence-Based Implant Dentistry
Limitations 20 Trial limitations, addressing sources of potential bias, imprecision, and, if relevant, multiplicity of
analyses
Generalizability 21 Generalizability (external validity, applicability) of the trial findings
Interpretation 22 Interpretation consistent with results, balancing benefits and harms, and considering other relevant
evidence
Other information
Registration 23 Registration number and name of trial registry
Protocol 24 Where the full trial protocol can be accessed, if available
Funding 25 Sources of funding and other support (such as supply of drugs), role of funders
13
14
Table 1.3 Checklist of items to include when reporting a systematic review (with or without meta-analysis)
Section/topic # Checklist item Reported on Page #
Title
Title 1 Identify the report as a systematic review, meta-analysis, or both
Abstract
Structured summary 2 Provide a structured summary including, as applicable: background; objectives; data sources;
study eligibility criteria, participants, and interventions; study appraisal and synthesis methods;
results; limitations; conclusions and implications of key findings; systematic review registration
number
Introduction
Rationale objectives 3 Describe the rationale for the review in the context of what is already known
4 Provide an explicit statement of questions being addressed with reference to participants,
interventions, comparisons, outcomes, and study design (PICOS)
Methods
Protocol and registration 5 Indicate if a review protocol exists, if and where it can be accessed (e.g., Web address), and, if
available, provide registration information including registration number
Eligibility criteria 6 Specify study characteristics (e.g., PICOS, length of follow-up) and report characteristics (e.g.,
years considered, language, publication status) used as criteria for eligibility, giving rationale
Information sources 7 Describe all information sources (e.g., databases with dates of coverage, contact with study
authors to identify additional studies) in the search and date last searched
Search 8 Present full electronic search strategy for at least one database, including any limits used, such
that it could be repeated
Study selection 9 State the process for selecting studies (i.e., screening, eligibility, included in systematic review,
and, if applicable, included in the meta-analysis)
Data collection process 10 Describe method of data extraction from reports (e.g., piloted forms, independently in
duplicate) and any processes for obtaining and confirming data from investigators
Data items 11 List and define all variables for which data were sought (e.g., PICOS, funding sources) and any
assumptions and simplifications made
Risk of bias in individual studies 12 Describe methods used for assessing risk of bias of individual studies (including specification
of whether this was clone at the study or outcome level), and how this information is to be used
in any data synthesis
Summary measures 13 State the principal summary measures (e.g., risk ratio, difference in means)
Synthesis of results 14 Describe the methods of handling data and combining results of studies, if done, including
measures of consistency (e.g., I2) for each meta-analysis
Risk of bias across studies 15 Specify any assessment of risk of bias that may affect the cumulative evidence (e.g., publication
bias, selective reporting within studies)
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1
Additional analyses 16 Describe methods of additional analyses (e.g., sensitivity or subgroup analyses, meta-
regression), if done, indicating which were prespecified
Results
Study selection 17 Give numbers of studies screened, assessed for eligibility, and included in the review, with
reasons for exclusions at each stage, ideally with a flow diagram
Study characteristics 18 For each study, present characteristics for which data were extracted (e.g., study size, PICOS,
follow-up period) and provide the citations
Risk of bias within studies 19 Present data on risk of bias of each study and, if available, any outcome-level assessment (see
Item 12)
Results of individual studies 20 For all outcomes considered (benefits or harms), present, for each study:
(a) Simple summary data for each intervention group
(b) Effect estimates and confidence intervals, ideally with a forest plot
Synthesis of results 21 Present results of each meta-analysis done, including confidence intervals and measures of
consistency
Risk of bias across studies 22 Present results of any assessment of risk of bias across studies (see Item 15)
Additional analysis discussion 23 Give results of additional analyses, if done (e.g., sensitivity or subgroup analyses,
meta-regression)
Introduction to Evidence-Based Implant Dentistry
Summary of evidence 24 Summarize the main findings including the strength of evidence for each main outcome;
consider their relevance to key groups (e.g., healthcare providers, users, and policy makers)
Limitations 25 Discuss limitations at study and outcome level (e.g., risk of bias) and at review level (e.g.,
incomplete retrieval of identified research, reporting bias)
Conclusions 26 Provide a general interpretation of the results in the context of other evidence, and implications
for future research
Funding
Funding 27 Describe sources of funding for the systematic review and other support (e.g., supply of data)
and role of funders for the systematic review
15
16 O. Iocca
problem in medical and dental literature, confer- importance of the disease allow an adoption of
ring to the studies of the so-called sponsorship bias. the studied intervention on the part of the
Popelut and coll. [20] analyzed this topic col- clinician.
lecting data from implant studies and tried to cor- If we go back to the definition of EBD,
relate the presence of a financial sponsorship patients preferences and doctors expertise are a
with annual failure rates. fundamental component of good practice.
Indeed, results showed that funding sources Aseptic application of evidence is avoided.
may have a significant effect on the annual failure Instead, the dental specialist must develop his/her
rates of dental implants. Failure rate was signifi- skills starting from dental school and then in
cantly lower in industry-associated trials when postgraduate programs, continuing education
compared with non-industry. It also emerged that courses, conferences, etc. Integration between
trials where funding source was not specified had the technical aspects of a given procedure and the
an even lower failure rate; this was explained by evidence-based decisions about the same proce-
the fact that maybe authors that deliberately do dure will constitute the foundation for an
not report a funding source did not have the same evidence-based practice rather than a personal-
quality control of sponsorship studies and so based one. Finally, the patients preferences and
results were more biased. desires should be met whenever possible, of
This analysis clearly pointed out that transpar- course trying to reach the common aim of provid-
ency of sponsorship is of utmost importance. ing the highest level of care.
Moreover, when a sponsorship is declared, it is
the duty of the reader to assess carefully if results
are biased in some way. Also, experimental References
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of the CONSORT guidelines can aid in avoiding 1. D.L. Sackett, W.M. Rosenburg, J.A. Gray,
the phenomenon of sponsorship bias. R.B. Haynes, W.S. Richardson, Evidence-based med-
icine: what it is and it isnt. BMJ 312, 7172 (1996)
2. D.L. Sackett, W.S. Richardson, W.M. Rosenburg,
1.2.4.2 Internal Validity and External R.B. Haynes, Evidence-based medicine: how to prac-
Validity tice and teach EBM New York (Churchill Livingstone,
Application of research results to clinical prac- New York, 1997)
3. R. Brignardello-Petersen et al., A practical approach
tice depends upon the internal validity and exter-
to evidence-based dentistry. J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 145,
nal validity of the studies [21, 22]. 12621267 (2014)
Internal validity refers essentially to the qual- 4. A. Carrasco-Labra, R. Brignardello-Petersen,
ity of the studies, in simple terms how well a M. Glick, G.H. Guyatt, A. Azarpazhooh, A practical
approach to evidence-based dentistry: VI. J. Am.
study measures what it is supposed to measure.
Dent. Assoc. 146, 255265 (2015)
This is evaluated hierarchically, with study 5. C.M. Faggion, F. Huda, J. Wasiak, Use of method-
designs at the top of the evidence pyramid con- ological tools for assessing the quality of studies in
sidered to have a higher internal validity com- periodontology and implant dentistry: a systematic
review. J. Clin. Periodontol. 41, 625631 (2014)
pared to designs at the bottom. Moreover,
6. D. Kloukos, S.N. Papageorgiou, I. Doulis, H. Petridis,
adherence to the abovementioned checklists for N. Pandis, Reporting quality of randomised controlled
the various designs should confer high internal trials published in prosthodontic and implantology
validity. journals. J. Oral Rehabil. 42(12), 914925 (2015)
7. J.P. Vandenbroucke et al., Strengthening the Reporting
External validity refers to the applicability of
of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE):
the evidence in practice. Although internal valid- explanation and elaboration. Int. J. Surg. 12, 1500
ity is the prerequisite for external validity, this 1524 (2014)
does not mean that a good-quality study finds an 8. K.F. Schulz, D.A. Grimes, Blinding in randomised tri-
als: hiding who got what. Lancet 359, 696700
application to the real-world situation. In fact,
(2002). orabinejad, MBahjri, K
external validity means that the cost of the inter- 9. K.F. Schulz, D.G. Altman, D. Moher, C. Group,
vention, the ease of implementation, and the CONSORT 2010 statement: updated guidelines for
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reporting parallel group randomised trials. BMC 19. B.E. Pjetursson, M. Zwahlen, N.P. Lang, Quality of
Med. 8, 18 (2010) reporting of clinical studies to assess and compare
10. H.V. Worthington, M. Esposito, M. Nieri, performance of implant-supported restorations.
A.-M. Glenny, What is a systematic review? Eur. J. Clin. Periodontol. 39, 139159 (2012)
J. Oral Implantol. 1, 174175 (2003) 20. A. Popelut, F. Valet, O. Fromentin, A. Thomas,
11. D. Moher, A. Liberati, J. Tetzlaff, D.G. Altman, P. Bouchard, Relationship between sponsorship and
Reprint--preferred reporting items for systematic failure rate of dental implants: a systematic approach.
reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS One 5, e10274 (2010)
Phys. Ther. 89, 873880 (2009) 21. A. Polychronopoulou, The reporting quality of meta-
12. S. Senn, F. Gavini, D. Magrez, A. Scheen, Issues in analysis results of systematic review abstracts in peri-
performing a network meta-analysis. Stat. Methods odontology and implant dentistry is suboptimal.
Med. Res. 22, 169189 (2013) J. Evid. Based Dent. Pract. 14, 209210 (2014)
13. B. Pommer, K. Becker, C. Arnhart, F. Fabian, 22. J. Cosyn, et al., An exploratory case-control study on the
F. Rathe, R.G. Stigler, How meta-analytic evidence impact of IL-1 gene polymorphisms on early implant fail-
impacts clinical decision making in oral implantol- ure. Clin. Implant Dent. Relat. Res. 18, 23440 (2016)
ogy: a Delphi opinion poll. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 27, 23. J.-T. Lee, H.-J. Lee, S.-Y. Park, H.-Y. Kim, I.-S. Yeo,
282287 (2016) Consecutive unsplinted implant-supported restora-
14. M.L. Perel, Cargo cult science and meta-analysis. tions to replace lost multiple adjacent posterior teeth:
Implant Dent. 24, 1 (2015) a 4-year prospective cohort study. Acta Odontol.
15. C.J. Foote et al., Network meta-analysis: users guide Scand. 73, 461466 (2015)
for surgeons: part I credibility. Clin. Orthop. Relat. 24. S. Elangovan, V. Allareddy, Publication metrics of
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16. F. Catal-Lpez, A. Tobas, C. Cameron, D. Moher, determining the impact factor of journals? J. Evid.
B. Hutton, Network meta-analysis for comparing Based Dent. Pract. 15, 97104 (2015)
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duction. Rheumatol. Int. 34, 14891496 (2014) K. Nickles, P. Eickholz, Discomfort/pain due to pocket
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Assessment of Reporting Quality (MARQ) Checklist. tional study. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 00, 15 (2015)
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18. V. Smith, D. Devane, C.M. Begley, M. Clarke, Zadeh, R. Palmer, Implants of 6 mm vs. 11 mm
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Basics ofBiostatistics
2
OresteIocca
Abstract
Statistical knowledge is at the basis of understanding and reporting the
results of scientific research. Basic concepts of probability are the first
building blocks for most of the statistical concepts. Conditional probabil-
ity, at the basis of Bayesian statistics, is becoming popular among research-
ers and usually opposed to the most commonly used frequentist approach.
This last one is based on the concepts of distribution of variables,
hypothesis testing, p-value, and confidence intervals.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are becoming important tools
for synthesis of the available evidence. A new, still unexplored, method of
analyses of primary studies is the network meta-analysis for multiple
treatment comparisons. This may become an important way of assessing
the efficacy of numerous treatments when direct comparison of primary
studies is impossible.
At the basis of reporting and understanding of The conclusions drawn from the sample are
the medical and dental literature, there is a need generalized to the whole population in a process
of using rigorous methods aimed at collection, known as inferential statistics.
analysis, and interpretation of data. This can be This is in contrast with descriptive statistics in
accomplished with the knowledge of basic sta- which the analysis of the data is performed on the
tistical tools [1]. Usually, dental research is per- sample available, and data is not assumed to
formed on a sample of persons which should be come from a larger population.
representative enough of a given population.
2.1 Probability
O. Iocca, DDS
International Medical School, Sapienza University
Concepts of probability are at the foundation of
ofRome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
statistical concepts. Probability refers to a ran-
Private Practice Limited to Oral Surgery,
dom process that gives rise to an outcome. It is
Periodontology and Implant Dentistry,
Rome, Italy always described as a proportion and always
e-mail: oi243@nyu.edu takes values between 0 and 1.
patient has peri-implantitis (B+) if we found nosis of peri-implantitis of 38.4%. This would
bleeding on probing (A+), we can apply the suggest that, although evaluation of bleeding on
Bayes theorem and use a graphical tool to clarify probing is important in the process of diagnosis
how we obtain the results. of peri-implantitis, it is better to integrate it with
We can represent the situation with a tree dia- other diagnostic tools like probing depth and
gram in which the probability of having peri- x-ray evaluation.
implantitis is denoted as P(B+), probability of This may seem counterintuitive because we
having bleeding on probing given is (A+), in par- stated at the beginning that a patient with peri-
ticular probability of having bleeding on probing implantitis has a 99% probability of having
given that one has peri-implantitis is denoted as bleeding on probing. It is important to remember
P(A1+|B), and probability of having bleeding on that we reversed the question and tried to figure
probing given that one do not have peri- out what would be the probability of having peri-
implantitis is denoted as P(A2+|B) implantitis once we found bleeding on probing.
To make another example, it is reported that
Bleeding on
probing
around 99% of players playing in the NBA (the
0.99 Yes (A1+|B+) professional basketball association in the United
Peri-implantitis yes (B+)
0.22 States with only around 360 players part of it) are
0.01 No (A1-|B+) taller than 180cm (6.0); this can be expressed as
P(180+|NBA+)=0.99; therefore, if you play in
0.45 Yes (A2+|B-) the NBA, it is almost certain that you are taller
0.78 than 180cm. If we reverse the question and we
Peri-implantitis no (B-) 0.55 No (A2-|B-) want to know which is the probability of playing
in the NBA if we are taller than 180cm or
From the tree diagram, we understand that P(NBA+|180+), we dont need the Bayes theo-
P(A1+|B+) or simply probability of having bleed- rem to understand that, even being taller than
ing on probing given that one has peri-implantitis 180cm, the probability of playing in the NBA is
is almost 100%, but in clinical situation we check minimal!
for bleeding on probing in order to perform a Bayesian approach is a way of calculating
diagnosis of peri-implantitis. In other words, we conditional probabilities. We combine the data of
reverse the scenario and check for the probability our prior knowledge (anterior probability) in
of having peri-implantitis given that the patient order to calculate a revised probability (posterior
has bleeding on probing or P(B+|A+). In this case, probability). It is clear that the anterior probabil-
the Bayes theorem helps us in resolving this ity can differ according to the sources from which
question. we extract the data; going back to the previous
With the application of the theorem, we found example, various authors report different rates of
out that prevalence for peri-implantitis; therefore, our
results would have changed accordingly if we
(
P B + and A+ ) chose another value for the probability of having
(
P B |A + +
)= peri-implantitis in implant patient population.
( )
P A +
This may seem to add some subjectivity to the
=
( +
) ( )
P A | B+ * P B+ analysis, but at the same time makes it possible to
(
P A1 | B+ +
) * P ( B ) + P ( A2 | B ) * P ( B )
+ + + + recalculate the results in light of new data (new
prior probability) in a process of updating beliefs
0.99 * 0.22 0.218 that is the strength of Bayesian statistics.
= = = 0.384
( 0 .99 * 0 .22 ) (
+ 0 .45 * 0 .78 ) 0.569
Frequentist approach, essentially based on
p-value, confidence intervals, null hypothesis,
In conclusion, we found that a patient with bleed- and power (discussed later), is the most com-
ing on probing has a probability of having a diag- monly used in the scientific literature and usually
22 O. Iocca
opposed to the Bayesian one. But in the last few For example, if in a patient population, the mean
years, Bayesian statistics is gaining popularity periodontal probing depth is 6.0 mm and the
among researchers due to the possibility of add- standard deviation is 1.5 mm, we may calculate
ing knowledge with the update of a prior proba- the Z-score for a patient who has a periodontal
bility [2]. probing depth of 7.5.
In this regard, some authors [3] arrived at the
x 7.5 6.0
conclusion that clinicians are natural Bayesians, z= = = 1.0
in the sense that they apply Bayesian rule in clini- 1.5
cal practice even without knowing Bayesian In this case, the patient is 1 standard deviation
statistics. above the mean, and a normal probability table
Their claim is based on the fact interpreting a (also called Z table, which is a precalculated table
test result, a clinical sign, or a symptom acts in associated with the percentiles for a particular
the same way as updating a prior probability. standard deviation) will tell us that the patient
They conclude that clinical decision-making is lies in the 84th percentile, which means that his
Bayesian at its core. periodontal probing depth is higher than 84% of
In the future, it is expected that the Bayesian the other patients from the same population. All
approach will be further incorporated in the med- the probing values below the 84th percentile are
ical research. delimited by the gray area (Fig.2.1).
The importance of the Z-score and the area
under the normal curve is that if we sample at
2.2 Distribution of Variables least 30 independent observations and data are
not strongly skewed, the distribution of the mean
A random variable is a process or outcome that will be approximated by a normal model. In
can assume a numerical outcome. For example, a (Fig.2.2), we have 12 random samples each com-
random variable can be the number of edentulous posed of at least 30 observations, which fits the
people in a geographic area. normal model (Fig.2.2).
A probability distribution is the one that
includes all the possible numerical values for a
given variable. 2.2.1 Confidence Intervals
The normal distribution is taken as the refer-
ence distribution because it is the most common A plausible range of values for the population
and taken as a reference to solve many problems parameter is called confidence interval; in order
in statistics. to obtain this value, we take into account the
Normal distribution is described as symmet- standard deviation associated with an estimate
ric, unimodal, and bell shaped and by definition called the standard error (SE). SE describes the
has mean =0 and standard deviation =1; mean error associated with the estimate; in simple
and standard deviation describe exactly the nor- terms, it reflects the variability of the statistics
mal distribution and are called distribution when we dont have values of the entire popula-
parameters. tion but instead just values of a sample from the
A standardization of the normal curve is called population we want to study; SE is calculated as
the Z-score, which is defined as the number of
S
standard deviations a value falls above or below SEx =
the mean. If we know the mean of a given distri- n
bution for a given population and also the stand- where s is the standard deviation of the sample
ard deviation, we can calculate the Z-score for a and n the sample size.
given X value as: It is known from the Z-score table that 95% of
observations that lie under the normal curve is
x
z= comprised between 1.96 and +1.96 standard
deviations from the mean (Fig.2.3).
2 Basics ofBiostatistics 23
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Fig. 2.3 Normal curve where the gray area 95% of observations lie in the area under the
corresponds to 95% of observations curve comprised between -1.96 and +1.96
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
reject the null hypothesis in the sense that it is not We set a normal probing depth around
implausible that H0 is true. implants to be around 4mm; now we have a sam-
In hypothesis testing, two types or errors are ple of implant patients treated with a smooth col-
possible: lar, and we assume that this may contribute to
reduced probing depth after 1 year; in this case,
Type I error consists in rejecting H0 when it is we set a negative one-sided hypothesis test in this
actually true. way (it is negative because we want to check for
Type II error consists in failing to reject H0 when a value less than the hypothesis; if we would
HA is actually true. check for a value greater than the hypothesis, we
would say that it is a positive test).
A significance level =0.05 means that we do
not want to commit a type I error more than 5% H0 : probing depth mean with smooth collar
of the times. = 4.0 mm
Type II error is symbolized by and is deter-
mined by the sample size. Statistical power, a HA : probing depth mean with smooth collar
very important concept for the validity of a study, < 4.0 mm
is defined as the probability of rejecting the null
hypothesis or 1. Calculation of the power goes Instead if we would like to check if probing depth
beyond the scopes of this introduction. Here is is different than 4.0mm, we perform a two-sided
enough to say that increasing the sample size, hypothesis test.
increases the power. Usually it is accepted that a
minimum power of 80% is needed; this means H0 : probing depth mean with smooth collar
that should not be higher than 0.20, so that = 4.0 mm
10.20=0.80. This would mean that the proba-
bility of rejecting the null hypothesis given that it HA : probing depth mean with smooth collar
is not true is 80%. 4.0 mm
With the p-value we quantify the strength of
evidence against the null hypothesis and in favor If we take a sample of 100 patients treated with
of the alternative. The p-value is defined as the smooth collar with a significance level of =0.05,
probability of observing the data at least as favor- null hypothesis will be rejected with a p-value
able to the alternative hypothesis. <0.05. This means that if the null hypothesis is true,
If we conduct a one-sided hypothesis test, for our sample mean (that we suppose comes from a
example, we can formulate the test in this way: normal distribution) will lie into 1.96 standard
2 Basics ofBiostatistics 25
deviations from the mean for a double-sided test or from a small sample and in this case is more
below the fifth percentile for a one-sided negative accurate than the normal distribution. If the sam-
test or more than 95th percentile for a one-sided ple size is at least 30, the t distribution becomes
positive test. nearly normal.
If we get a mean probing depth of 3.1mm
with a standard deviation of 1.1mm, can we state
that the sample of patients with this probing 2.2.4 ANOVA andF Test
depth mean actually come from a different popu-
lation? In statistical terms, are our results statisti- Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the associ-
cally significant? ated statistical test F are used to check with a sin-
We can perform a Z test to test our hypothesis, gle hypothesis test whether the mean across
which is Z =mean of the sample null groups is equal.
value/SE=3.14.0/0.11= 8.18. For example, we have four groups of patients
If we check this z value on the normal distri- treated with four different implants (A, B, C, D)
bution table, the area under the curve or p-value with different surfaces, and we check for mar-
associated with z=0.11 is less than 0.0002. This ginal bone level changes (MBL) at 1 year. We
lower tail area provides sufficient strong evidence found that the mean MBL is A=1.1, B=1.3,
for rejecting the null hypothesis. C=0.9, and D=1.5.
If we designed our test as two sided, so just We can perform a hypothesis test in this way:
checking for HAH0, we would perform a Z test
in the same fashion as before, but this time we H0 : m1 = m 2 = m3 = m 4
should multiply the Z-score * 2 because in this HA : at least one mean is different
case we are checking for the area under the curve
comprised between the lower and the upper tail. ANOVA is used in this case to test if a difference
In this case, z=8.18 which corresponds to the exists between two or more groups, and the test
area under the left tail, because the normal model statistics used in this case is called F which fol-
is symmetric 8.18*2=16.36 which corresponds lows an F distribution with two types of degree of
to a p-value of <0.0001 and again allows to reject freedom, df1=k1 where k are the groups and
the null hypothesis. Alternatively stated, if the df2=nk where n are the number of subjects
null hypothesis is true, there is a probability of from all the groups.
less than 0.0001 of observing such a large mean The F tests give us the ratio between the vari-
for a sample of 100 patients. ability between groups (calculated as mean
square between groups or MSG) and the variabil-
ity within groups (mean square error or MSE). A
2.2.3 The t Distribution simplified way to understand the F test is to con-
sider it in this way.
The t distribution has the same shape as the nor-
mal distribution but with a single parameter, the Variance between treatments
F=
degrees of freedom (df), which corresponds to Variance within treatments
the number of observations 1 (or n1) and
describes the shape of the t distribution. In simple The corresponding F results, once checked, will
terms, the larger the sample, the more the t distri- be used to compute the p-value in the same way
bution will resemble the normal distribution. as with the other tests. If p-value is less than our
Also, instead of the Z-score table, for the t distri- predetermined significance level of 0.05, we
bution, we use the t table in which the area under reject the null hypothesis in favor of the alterna-
the curve is calculated according to the degrees tive. Regarding the previous example, this would
of freedom. The t distribution is used when we mean that the mean bone level change at 1 year
need to estimate the mean and standard error varies between the four groups.
26 O. Iocca
In order to know which of the groups have sta- The table for the expected values can be there-
tistically different means, we compare the means fore drawn in this way.
of each group. This is done performing a pair
t-test for all the groups; in this case, A vs. B, A Prosthetic External Internal
vs. C, A vs. D, B vs. C, and B vs. D (this is usu- complications connection connection Total
ally done by a software). The results of the single Yes 28.4 36.6 65
t-tests will tell us which groups have a statisti- No 148.5 191.5 340
cally significant difference. Total 177 228 405
In conclusion, ANOVA examines the big pic-
ture considering all the groups simultaneously. If Now applying the chi-square formula
there is evidence that some evidence exists, we
can try to check which groups have a statistically k
( Oi Ei )
2
( 27 28.4 )
2
(150 148)
2
+ + = 1.01
2.2.5 Chi-Square Test 36.6 191.5
When comparing two or more proportions or per- In this case, for the 22 table of the example,
centages, the chi-square (2) is a common test we have (21) (21)=1 df; a value of 1.01
performed to find the p-value. Of course, it exists with 1 df on the 2 distribution table will cor-
a 2 distribution with (r1) (c1) degrees of free- respond to the area under the tail >0.05, so we
dom, where r are the rows and c the columns of reject the null hypothesis, and for the data
the table from which we analyze the data. available, there is no difference in the rate of
prosthetic complications between internal and
Prosthetic External Internal external connection.
complications connection connection Total
Yes 27 38 65
No 150 190 340 2.3 Regression Analyses
Total 177 228 405
Regression analyses allow to consider the rela-
tion existing between one or more explanatory or
2 =
k
(Oi Ei )2 independent variables (x1, x2, x3, etc.) and a
i =1 Ei dependent variable (y).
In this example we have the observed data (O)
and we want to compare them with the expected 2.3.1 Linear Regression
data (E).
The rate of complication or total of complica- Linear regression is the simplest form of regres-
tions over total of patients=65/405=0.16 and the sion analysis and takes into account an explana-
rate of no complications over the total of tory variable (x) and a dependent variable (y)
patients=340/405=0.84. represented in a scatterplot.
In this way the expected rate of complication Scope of the analysis is to establish if a lin-
for external connection patients would be 177 * ear correlation exists between the two variables.
0.16=28.3, and the expected rate of no complica- The equation used for the linear regression
tions for the external connection would be 177 * analysis is y=b0+b1*x, where b0 is the inter-
0.84=148.7. In the same way, the expected rate cept of the line and b1 is coefficient calculated
of complications for the internal connection according to the variable values (calculation of
patients would be 228 * 0.16=6.08 and the rate their values goes beyond the scopes of this
of no complications 228 * 0.84=159.6. introduction).
2 Basics ofBiostatistics 27
The correlation describing the strength of the lin- For example, a study [4] evaluated the rela-
ear relationship, between the two variables, denoted tionship between the CT values in Hounsfield
as r, always takes the value between 1 and +1. units of the peri-implant bone and primary
A value of r closer to 1 means that there is a implant stability; in the figure 2.4 are reported
strong linear relationship between the variable x the scatter diagrams and the correlation lines.
and y, if one increases the other increases as well. The reported r values for straight implants were
A value of r closer to 1 means that a linear rela- 0.813in (A), 0.858in (B), and 0.714in (C). This
tionship exists between the two variables, but in means that a high positive correlation was
this case when one increases, the other decreases. shown for all the variables analyzed and in par-
A value close to 0 means that there is no associa- ticular a strong correlation between the HU val-
tion between the variables. ues and the insertion torque values, the implant
Another value, r2, tells us the amount of variabil- stability quotient, and the removal torque value
ity in the y variable explained by the x variable. (Fig.2.4).
a 45 b 90
40 85
Insertion torque value (Ncm)
35 80
75
30
70
25
65
20
60
15
55
10
50
5 45
0 40
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 0 100 200 300 400 500 600
CT value (HU) CT value (HU)
40
c
35 Tapered implant group
Straight implant group
Removal torque value (Ncm)
30
25
Equations:
20 (A) tapered: y = 0.084x - 7.354
straight: y = 0.069x - 7.110
15
(B) tapered: y = 0.039x + 62.038
10 straight: y = 0.083x + 44.933
5 (C) tapered: y = 0.084x + 11.394
straight: y = 0.052x - 3.354
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
CT value (HU)
Fig. 2.4 Scatter diagrams and correlations lines with the corresponding r values (Reproduced with permission from
Howashi and coll)
28 O. Iocca
1.0
Proportion of implants surviving
0.8
0.6
0.6
0.4
0.4
0.2
0.2
type 1
type 2
type 3
type 4
0.0
0.0
0 5 10 15 20 0 5 10 15 20
Time [years] Time [years]
Fig. 2.5 Kaplan-Meier analysis of all the studied implants (a), further distinguished by ITI implantation type (b)
(Reproduced with permission by Becker and coll)
the smaller the variance, the larger the weight of accordingly if we consider age, systemic disease,
the study. socioeconomic status, etc.
In summary, with the fixed effect model, we
1
w= consider all the observed effects in the included
variance studies, and we try to give an estimation of the
In a meta-analysis, a p-value is also calculated only one true effect size for the whole
with the usual statistical tests; normally if the population.
value falls under 0.05, the result of the meta- We calculate the weight of each study first.
analysis is considered statistically significant.
Meta-analyses are based on two statistical 1
wi =
models, fixed effect and random effect. VY
i
If the analysis is performed under the fixed
effect model, we suppose that all the studies Then, the weighted mean of the effect size is
included have one and just one true effect. This computed as
occurs rarely in medical and dental field.
k
Random effects instead implies more realisti-
cally that there is no reason to assume that the
wiYi
M = ki =1
true effect size is the same for the whole popula-
tion under study, but the effect size is comprised wi
i =1
in a range due to various factors. For example,
the true effect size in a population can vary The variance of the summary effect is calculated as
30 O. Iocca
study name year delayed N delayed mean delayed SD immediate N immediate mean immediate SD MD lower upper
shibly 2012 29 0.750 0.170 26 0.990 0.220 -0.240 -0.345 -0.135
jokstad 2014 144 1.100 0.700 104 1.300 0.700 -0.200 -0.377 -0.023
barewal 2012 14 0.225 0.280 7 0.330 0.380 -0.105 -0.422 0.212
den hartog 2011 31 0.900 0.570 30 0.910 0.610 -0.010 -0.306 0.286
meloni 2012 20 0.860 0.160 20 0.830 0.160 0.030 -0.069 0.129
schincaglia 2008 15 1.200 0.550 15 0.770 0.380 0.430 0.092 0.768
Model Results
Heterogeneity
-1 0.5 0 0.5 1
Mean Difference
Fig. 2.6 Example of a meta-analysis evaluating marginal bone level changes of delayed versus immediately loaded
dental implants after at least 1 year of follow-up (see text for details)
2 Basics ofBiostatistics 31
analysis, mean difference has been chosen for For the purposes of indirectly comparing
effect size comparison. treatment B vs. C, we create a graphical network,
Is it possible to understand that a random hence the name of the analysis.
effect model gives not statistically significant The majority of network meta-analyses are
results (p-value (0.569)) Moreover, high hetero- conducted using a Bayesian approach. In this
geneity is evident from the I2 result of 79.5%. way, they estimate treatment effects of each inter-
In conclusion, results of this meta-analysis vention and combining the prior probabilities
show that there does not seem to exist a differ- give the corresponding posterior probability dis-
ence in marginal bone level change after at least tribution. Bayesian network meta-analyses allow
1 year of follow-up. Also, high heterogeneity to obtain an estimation of the probability that
between studies is evident. each treatment can produce better outcomes than
competing interventions.
For example, a Bayesian network meta-
2.5.1 Network Meta-analysis analysis was conducted [12] with the aim of
assessing the efficacy of various peri-implantitis
A network meta-analysis is a method of conduct- treatments. A network of the studies has been
ing multiple treatment comparisons. For exam- drawn (Fig.2.7); thereafter a Bayesian analysis
ple, we can have a set of studies comparing has been conducted showing the results in a bar
treatment A versus treatment B and another set of graph (Fig.2.8).
studies comparing treatment A versus treatment From the graph, it is possible to check which
C but no studies directly comparing treatment B treatment has the highest probabilities of being
versus treatment C. ranked first, second, etc.
Debridement
Photodynamic
Debridement+periochip
Vector system
Debridement+Antibiotics
Air abrasive
Fig. 2.7 Network of studies as included in the study of Faggion and coll [12] (Reproduced with permission)
32 O. Iocca
90%
80%
Probability to rank at each place
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Rank for PPD
Abstract
One of the main challenges for the modern implantologist is to resolve the
clinical dilemma about whether to extract or retain a tooth. At this regard,
evidence-based decisions are based on the concepts of survival, success,
and failure. These concepts are often not clearly reported in the literature,
which may complicate information retrieval from the literature.
Comparison of implant solutions with endodontic treatment needs a sepa-
rate analysis between primary endodontic procedures, re-interventions,
and endodontic surgical options.
Comparison with fixed prosthesis on natural abutments is best made
analyzing separately the success and failure of single crowns and multiple-
unit restorations.
The traumatized tooth may also pose some diagnostic and therapeutic
doubts, especially because trauma often involves young patients.
Finally, the periodontal compromised patient must have a specific eval-
uation before implant placement, mainly for the prognostic implications
associated with a history of periodontal disease.
Development of treatment-decision algorithms in all these situations
may aid the clinician in developing a treatment plan.
Fig. 3.1 PAI index on CBCT (Reproduced from Estrela and coll)
evaluation may be useful for the standardized The fixed dental prosthesis success criteria
reporting of endodontic lesions [4]. are not uniformly defined; clinical retention of
In practice, endodontic studies mostly evaluate the restoration and loss of the natural abutments
the absence of clinical symptoms and radio- have been considered in the majority of the stud-
graphic measure of periapical healing regardless ies, but a consensus classification system does
of the above criteria. not exist.
36 O. Iocca et al.
3.2 The Endodontically Treated implant literature is made with studies of the
Tooth same era [5].
Fig. 3.2 Innovations that changed the endodontic surgical practice: the microscope, angulated ultrasonic tips, and
microscopic armamentarium (Reproduced from Kim and coll)
3 Teeth or Implants? 37
a b
d
c
Fig. 3.3 In this case, an endodontic approach was revealed a vertical fracture (c) which rendered necessary
attempted in order to treat the necrotic tooth #15 (a), after extraction and implant placement (de)
3 months suppuration ensued (b), exploratory surgery
fact that surgery inherently predisposes to greater a pooled success rate of 92 % (0.880.96 CI 95 %)
risk of complications (post-op pain, scarring, for the microsurgery group and 80 % (0.740.86
amalgam discoloration, etc.) CI 95 %) for the nonsurgical group; the difference
On the other hand, a microscopic approach was statistically significant.
seems to give an advantage compared to orthograde Consequently, it is safe to assume that end-
retreatment. This was shown in a meta-analysis odontic microsurgery is a reliable treatment option
performed comparing nonsurgical retreatment and the only effective alternative when orthograde
with endodontic microsurgery [12] which showed retreatment is deemed difficult or impossible.
3 Teeth or Implants? 39
a b c
d e f
g h
Fig. 3.4 Example of microscopic surgery performed permission from Kim and coll. Problem solving in end-
with angulated ultrasonic instruments (ae), microscope, odontics: prevention, identification and management,
and MTA apical obturation (eh) (Reproduced with page 33, 5e, Mosby 2010)
In light of this, it is appropriate to compare In the end, the single implants had higher sur-
implant treatment with endodontic microsurgery. vival rates than teeth treated with microsurgical
Direct comparison studies are not available, but a endodontics [14].
systematic review by Torabinejad and coll. [13] Of course, clinical decision making cannot be
reports survival rates for single implant based on these data alone, first of all because studies
restorations that vary from 96 % (0.930.98 CI directly comparing endodontic microsurgical pro-
95 %) at 24 years follow-up to 98 % (0.950.99 cedures with dental implants are lacking. Finally,
CI 95 %) at 6+ years of follow-up. Endodontic multiple factors needs to be evaluated: the prefer-
microsurgery group showed survival rates of ences of the patient after thorough discussion of the
94 % (0.910.97 CI 95 %) at 24 years and 88 % economical and biological costs of one treatment
(0.840.92 CI 95 %) with 46 years of over the other, the overall oral health status, and the
follow-up. treatment planning as a whole (Flow Chart 3.1).
40 O. Iocca et al.
ENDODONTIC TREATMENT
ORTHOGRADE
NO YES ROOT-CANAL YES NO
THERAPY
Consider
Discuss with the patient
the feasibililty
and the cost
of a combined periodontal
and endodontic treatment
The remaing portion of
the tooth does gurrantee ENDODONTIC
a ferrule effect, there is no MICROSURGERY
necessity of crown lengthening
TREATMENT IS FEASIBLE
procedures, good prognosis
AND PATIENT WANTS TO
at long term
UNDERGO THORUGH
COMPLEX PROCEDURES
CONSIDER IMPLANT
TREATMENT
Table 3.6 Complication rates of various types of restorations on natural abutments (10-year estimate according to Sailer and coll.)
Single crown
Single crown all-ceramic Single crown Single crown Single crown
Single crown all-ceramic leucit or lithium all-ceramic glass all-ceramic all-ceramic
metal-ceramic feldspathic/silica disilicate infiltrated alumina zirconia
Sailer and coll. Ceramic Framework Framework Marginal Esthetic Loss of
[21] 5-year chipping 2.6 % fracture 6.7 % fracture 2.3 % discoloration 8.3 % failure 3.6 % retention 4.7 %
estimate Marginal Marginal Marginal Framework fracture Ceramic Ceramic
discoloration 1.8 % discoloration 4.3 % discoloration 2.3 % 2.1 % chipping 3.5 % chipping 3.1 %
Need for Need for Ceramic Caries 2.1 % Framework Caries 0.5 %
endodontic endodontic chipping 1.5 % Ceramic fracture 2.4 % Marginal
treatment 1.7 % treatment 3.7 % Loss of chipping 1.8 % Loss of discoloration 0.4 %
Caries 1 % Ceramic retention 1 % Need for retention 2.2 % Esthetic
Loss of chipping 1.2 % Need for endodontic Caries 1.4 % failure 0 %
retention 0.6 % Caries 0.6 % endodontic treatment 0.7 % Marginal
Framework fracture Loss of treatment 0.7 % Esthetic failure 0.5 % discoloration 0 %
0.3 % retention 0.6 % Caries 0.5 % Need for endodontic
Esthetic failure 0.5 % Esthetic Esthetic failure 0 % treatment 0 %
failure 0.5 %
O. Iocca et al.
3 Teeth or Implants? 43
Table 3.7 Complication rates on FDP restorations on natural abutments (5-year estimate according to Pjetursson and coll.)
FDP all-ceramic FDP all-ceramic FDP all-ceramic
FDP metal-ceramic reinforced glass alumina zirconia
Pjetursson Marginal Framework Ceramic Ceramic chipping
and coll. [22] discoloration 21.4 % fracture 8 % chipping 31.4 % 19.5 %
5-year Ceramic Ceramic Marginal Marginal discoloration
estimate chipping 8.6 % fracture 6.5 % discoloration 17.2 % 28.5 %
Ceramic Ceramic Framework Framework fracture
fracture 5 % chipping 5.2 % fracture 12.9 % 1.9 %
Loss of retention 2.1 % Marginal Ceramic fracture Ceramic fracture
Caries 1.2 % discoloration 6.6 % 14.5 %
Framework fracture 3.5 % Loss of Loss of retention 6.2 %
0.6 % Loss of retention 2.6 % Caries 3.2 %
Need for endodontic retention 2.9 % Caries 2 % Need for endodontic
treatment n.a. Caries 0.5 % Need for endodontic treatment 2.2 %
Need for endodontic treatment n.a.
treatment n.a.
Table 3.8 Survival analysis of natural abutments restorations according to various meta-analyses
Creugers and coll. [23] Conventional metal-ceramic FDP 74 % (0.690.80 CI 95 %) after 15 years
Scurria and coll. [24] Conventional metal-ceramic FDP 75 % (0.700.79 CI 95 %) after 15 years
Tan and coll. [19] Conventional metal-ceramic FDP 89.1 % (0.810.94 CI 95 %) after 10 years
Salinas and Eckert [25] Conventional FDP 67.3 % (0.500.84 CI 95 %) after 15 years
Pjetursson and coll. [22] Conventional metal-ceramic FDP 94.4 % (0.910.97 CI 95 %) after 5 years
Conventional FDP all-ceramic (zirconia) 90.4 % (0.850.94 CI 95 %) after 5 years
Sailer and coll. [21] Single crown metal-ceramic 94.7 % (0.940.97 CI 95 %) after 5 years
Single crown all ceramic (zirconia) 96.6 % (0.950.97 CI 95 %) after 5 years
Pjetursson and coll. [20] Single crown metal-ceramic 95.6 % (0.920.97 CI 95 %) after 5 years
Single crown all ceramic 93.3 % (0.910.95 CI 95 %) after 5 years
Sailer and coll. [26] Single crown metal-ceramic 94.7 % (0.940.97 CI 95 %) after 5 years
Single crown all ceramic 92.1 % (0.830.95 CI 95 %) after 5 years
Table 3.9 Complication rates of implant restorations according to Goodacre and coll.
Implant surgical
complications Prosthetic complications Peri-implant soft tissue complications
Goodacre Hemorrhage-related Prosthetic fracture 14 % Fenestration/dehiscence 7 %
and complications 24 % Opposing prosthesis fracture 12 % Gingival inflammation 6 %
coll. [27] Neurosensory Prosthesis screw loosening 7 % Fistulas 1 %
disturbances 7 % Abutment screw loosening 6 %
Mandibular Prosthesis screw fracture 4 %
fracture 0.3 % Metal framework fracture 3 %
Abutment screw fracture 2 %
Implant fractures 1 %
If just implant-supported single crowns are If just implant-supported FDPs are analyzed,
analyzed, reduced prosthetic complication rate the rate of prosthetic complications remains similar
are found in newer studies. In particular, esthetic between older and newer studies, with a 5-year rate
outcomes and biological complications for resto- ranging from 16 to 53 % [27, 28, 30, 32]. This is an
rations are found to be significantly lower than aspect that merits consideration because even if the
older studies [29, 31]. survival rates are high, the patient and the clinician
3 Teeth or Implants? 45
a b
Fig. 3.7 (a, b) Prostheses fracture is a relatively common complication of implant-supported restorations
Table 3.10 Complication rate of implant restorations (5-year estimates according to Pjetursson and coll.)
Biological complications Prosthetic complications
Pjetursson and coll. [28] Overall without specifying the details Prosthetic fracture 13.2 %
5-year estimate 8.6 % Abutment or screw loosening 5.8 %
Abutment or screw fracture 1.5 %
Metal framework fracture 0.8 %
Implant fracture 0.4 %
Table 3.11 Complication rate of single crown implant restorations (5-year estimate)
Biological complications, single crowns Prosthetic complications, single crowns
Jung and coll. [29] Soft tissue complications (inflammation, Loosening of abutment or screw 8.8 %%
5-year estimate bleeding, suppuration) 7.1 % Loss of retention 3.5 %
Esthetic complications 7.1 % Framework fracture 1.3 %
Bone loss >2 mm 5.2 %
Abutment or screw fractures 0.4 %
Implant fracture 0.18 %
Pjetursson and Marginal bone loss 8.5 % Prosthetic fracture 7.8 %
coll. [30] Chipping 7.8 %
5-year estimate Loss of screw access hole 5.4 %
Abutment or screw loosening 5.3 %
Loss of retention 4.7 %
Abutment or screw fracture 1.3 %
Metal framework fracture 0.5 %
Implant fracture 0.5 %
Zembic and Overall without specifying 6.4 % Abutment or screw loosening 4.6 %
coll. [31] Crown loosening 4.3 %
5-year estimates Chipping 2.7 %
Esthetic complications 0.9 %
Abutment fracture 0.2 %
Table 3.12 Survival rate of FDP and single crowns according to various systematic reviews
Lindh and coll. [32] FDP implant supported 93.6 % (0.910.95 CI 95 %) after 8 years
Pjetursson and coll. [28] FDP implant supported 86.7 % (0.830.89 CI 95 %) after 10 years
Torabinejad and coll. [6] FDP implant supported 95 % (0.930.96 CI 95 %) after 6+ years
Pjetursson and coll. [30] FDP implant supported 80.1 % (66.889.4 CI 95 %) after 10 years
Jung and coll. (2012) [29] Single crown implant supported 89.4 % (0.830.94 CI 95 %) after 10 years
Zembic and coll. (2014) [31] Single crown implant supported 95.6 % (0.940.97 CI 95 %) after 5 years
YES NO YES NO
Bone regeneration is
CONSIDER SINGLE feasible, the patient
CROWN ON wants to undergo
NATURAL ABUTMENT through regenerative
procedures and
longer treatment time
YES NO
Different topologies of dental trauma are fracture, concussion, subluxation, extrusive luxa-
identified: infraction, enamel fracture, enamel- tion, lateral luxation, intrusive luxation, and
dentin fracture, enamel-dentin-pulp fracture, avulsion.
crown fracture without pulp exposure, crown Treatment decisions after evaluation of a
fracture with pulp exposure, root fracture, alveolar traumatized tooth are based on clinical and
48 O. Iocca et al.
radiographic findings. When possible, every effort tized dentition. It is important to remember that
should be made to preserve pulp vitality in order implant insertion can be performed only on the
to ensure a positive long-term prognosis [35]. adult population with no further bone growth
Current guidelines, proposed by the expected. Contrarily in younger patients, the main
International Association of Dental Traumatology goal of treatment is to preserve the bony architec-
[36], indicate that conservative/endodontic treat- ture and soft tissue contours in a way to prepare for
ment is the first choice for fractures of enamel- implant placement when growth has ceased [37].
dentin with or without pulp exposure (Table 3.13). The choice to a traumatized tooth requires care-
Other types of trauma require instead a multidisci- ful evaluation of both the restorability and the
plinary evaluation, and implant treatment is one of prognosis of the tooth (Fig. 3.9). Especially in
the most reliable options for unrestorable trauma- young patients, a compromise treatment can be
chosen, keeping in mind that these patients have possible the replacement of natural teeth with a
high survival expectancy; therefore, delayment of removable denture or to allow a fixed restora-
extraction even for teeth with bad prognosis is a tion on the periodontally compromised teeth.
possibility [3840]. Discussion with the patient is This was accomplished with bone resective
of utmost importance in order to obtain satisfacto- surgery or with root amputation procedures.
rily results at long term (Flow Chart 3.3). With the advent of implantology, there was a
paradigm shift from tooth preservation to bone
preservation. Osseous resective surgery per-
3.5 Periodontal Compromised formed with the aim of eliminating the periodon-
Patient tal pocket has been shown to be successful in the
compliant patient. On the other hand, preserving
In the past, periodontics had the primary aim of bone for a future implant insertion may be more
maintaining the teeth in the mouth as long as important than the short-term pocket reduction
possible in order to postpone as much as around a compromised tooth.
50 O. Iocca et al.
a d
e
a
b
f
g
c
Fig. 3.9 (ah) Ct evaluation shows a root fracture (a), inappropriate due to the necessity of crown-lengthening
clinically a slight crown displacement is evident (b, c), procedures and poor esthetic prognosis, an extraction is
removal of the fractured crown reveals a fracture line well performed and immediate implant is placed (eh)
below the gingival plane (d), restoration is considered
3 Teeth or Implants? 51
TRAUMATIZED TOOTH
IDENTIFICATION OF THE
TYPOLOGY OF TRAUMA
-Infraction
-Enamel Fracture Crown-Root Fracture Luxation Avulsion
-Crown Fracture
-Enamel/dentin/pulp
fracture
-TOOTH STORED
FRACTURE LINE APPROPRIATELY
ABOVE GINGIVA LEVEL
-TIME DELAY <60 MINUTES
YES NO
YES NO
TOOTH
ENDO/RESTORATIVE REPOSITIONING
TREATMENT
REPLANTATION
Table 3.14 Published meta-analyses on periodontal healthy versus periodontitis patient undergoing implant
treatment
Periodontal healthy vs.
periodontal compromised
Effect size Results (95 % CI) Statistically significant Clinical meaning
Wen and RR 1.04 (1.021.04) + In favor of periodontal
coll. [44] healthy patients
Chrcanovic and RR 1.78 (1.502.11) + In favor of periodontal
coll. [45] healthy patients
Sgolastra and RR 1.89 (1.352.66) + In favor of periodontal
coll. [46] healthy patients
Safii and OR 3.02 (1.121.85) + In favor of periodontal
coll. [47] healthy patients
Table 3.15 Published meta-analyses evaluating aggressive versus chronic nonaggressive forms of periodontal
disease
Chronic periodontitis vs.
aggressive periodontitis Statistically
Effect size patients results (95 % CI) significant Clinical meaning
Wen and RR 1.03 (1.011.05) + In favor of nonaggressive
coll. [44]
Sgolastra and RR 1.59 (1.102.32) + In favor of nonaggressive
coll. [46]
Monje and RR 3.97 (1.689.37) + In favor of nonaggressive
coll. [48]
results and, most importantly, gives a clear clinical In conclusion, when implant treatment is pro-
indication: patients with a history of periodontal posed to this particular population of patients, it
disease are candidate to implant treatment must be taken into account that strict follow-up
(Fig. 3.10) but should be informed of the fact that and maintenance procedures should be adopted
there is an increased risk of implant loss compared and early detection of peri-implant disease must
to periodontal healthy individuals. Moreover, be searched for in order to prevent or slow-down
aggressive periodontitis ulteriorly increases this the progression of the disease [5055] (Flow
risk compared to chronic periodontitis [48]. Chart 3.4).
54 O. Iocca et al.
a b
c
d
g
h
Fig. 3.10 (ah) Patient affected by chronic periodontitis and give to the patient provisional restorations while he acquires
poor hygiene control (ab) after tartar ablation teeth are proper oral hygiene measures, and healing is completed (de).
considered of having poor prognosis, (c) and extraction is After 3 months of follow-up, the patient undergoes implant
performed; initially just anterior teeth are extracted in order to treatment (fh)
3 Teeth or Implants? 55
Periodontal
Regeneration/
YES NO Conservative
Approach
CONSIDER
PERIODONTAL
TREATMENT
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D.S. Thoma, Systematic review of the survival rate patients with previous tooth loss related to periodonti-
and the incidence of biological, technical, and aes- tis. Bdj 202, 547547 (2007)
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reported in longitudinal studies with a mean follow-up odontitis as a risk factor for long-term survival of den-
of 5 years. Clin. Oral Implants Res. 23, 221 (2012) tal implants : a meta-analysis. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac.
30. B.E. Pjetursson, D. Thoma, R. Jung, M. Zwahlen, Implants 29, 12711280 (2014)
A. Zembic, A systematic review of the survival and 45. B.R. Chrcanovic, T. Albrektsson, A. Wennerberg,
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after an observation period of at least 5 years. Clin. patients and dental implants: a systematic review and
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Bone Response to Implants
4
Oreste Iocca
Abstract
A successful implant treatment presupposes an effective osseointegration,
which is the direct apposition of bone to the implant surface. The implant
surface plays a huge role in the bone response leading to osseointegration.
For this reason, evaluation of chemical and physical characteristics is con-
sidered important in order to choose the best implant and obtain optimal
clinical results. Although it is not clear which specific surface confers a
true advantage, there is a general consensus that a roughened surface gives
better results compared to machined one.
Bone remodeling after extraction may have an influence on the implant
treatment planning and clinical results. Finally, optimal osseointegration
mechanisms, good primary stability, and high bone-to-implant contact
(BIC) should guarantee the best results at long term.
A relatively recent technology, the piezoelectric surgery, which has the best
cutting efficiency on mineralized tissue without overheating the bone, may
contribute to reduce the bone trauma before implant placement. Also, it can
aid in inserting the implants in difficult clinical situations like the contiguity to
delicate structures such as the inferior alveolar nerve or the maxillary sinus.
4.1 Bone Response to Implants the bone structure. It is clear that osseointegra-
tion is dependent by the interactions of the
Osseointegration is defined histologically by the implant surface with the bone tissue.
direct apposition of bone to the implant surface Materials and surface topography are crucial
and clinically by the ankylosis of the implant in in determining the bone response to the insertion
of the implant, and many studies are performed in
O. Iocca, DDS order to improve the interaction of bone to the
International Medical School, Sapienza University implant and consequently enhance the success of
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
implant treatment.
Private Practice Limited to Oral Surgery,
Periodontology and Implant Dentistry,
Rome, Italy
e-mail: oi243@nyu.edu
Sds density of summits or number of peaks in a According to Wennerberg and coll. [5], three-
given area Fig. 4.5. dimensional evaluation is the best way to describe
Sdr, developed surface area ratio, expresses a implant surface characteristics because it is more
measurement of the surface enlargement if a consistent and reliable compared to bidimen-
given surface is flattened out. A totally flat sional evaluation alone. In particular, Sdr value is
surface has Sdr value of 0 %; an Sdr of 100 % a hybrid parameter that must take into account
means that the roughness of the surface dou- both Sds and Sa values and in this way gives
bles its surface if flattened out. information about the number and height of
peaks over a given surface [6].
At a nanoscale level, surface energy is a mea- Fig. 4.5 3D representation of the implant surface and Sds
sure of the extent of unsatisfied bonds at the sur- representation
face. In other words if the surface is hydrophobic
or hydrophilic, two properties that influence the not clearly visible or not homogeneous and
surface wettability. Theoretically, a high surface repetitive, the surface can be considered as nano-
energy (i.e., high hydrophilia) increases the wet- smooth [8]. Nanoscale topographies are consid-
tability to blood and in consequence cell attach- ered an important aspect and an exciting field of
ment, differentiation, and proliferation [7]. One research in the processes of osseointegrations,
aspect to consider in this regard is that all sur- mainly due to observations coming from in vitro
faces show some sort of nanotopography but not studies. In vivo applicability of the results com-
all show significant nanostructures (objects of the ing from basic research studies still needs to be
size between 1 and 100 nm). If nanostructures are cleared [9].
4 Bone Response to Implants 63
Roughening of implants by acid-etching Fig. 4.6 (ac) SEM picture of machined (a), minimally
rough (b), rough surface (c) (Reproduced with permission
Acid-etching with strong acids such as HCl, from Elias and col.)
HF, etc. is able to produce microscopic pits on the
implant surface with sizes in the range of
0.52 m in diameter [36]. Acid-etching has Roughening of implants by titanium plasma
been found to improve notably osseointegration spray
in experimental animal studies when compared
to machined surfaces, but no major clinical dif- TPS involves the injection of titanium powder
ferences in terms of survival rates are reported into a plasma torch at very high temperature, the
when comparing etched surfaces with machined Ti particles sprayed over the implant surface
implants in vivo. form a film about 30 m thick.
64 O. Iocca
With this method, it is possible to achieve very optimal roughness with the blasting procedures
rough surfaces with an average Ra of 7 m. and, at the same time, a smoothening of the irreg-
Analysis of the literature shows that this kind of ular peaks with the additional etching. A stronger
roughness is clinical disadvantageous in terms of osseointegration is found when compared to
survival rates when compared with smooth and machined implants, but no clinical studies are
minimally rough surfaces. available to clearly show a superiority of this sur-
face to others.
Roughening of implants by grit blasting
Ceramic surfaces
Grit blasting consists in roughening of the sur-
face via blasting with hard ceramic particles noz- Implants coated with hydroxyapatite (HA)
zled at high velocity by a means of compressed air. were introduced on the market around three
Different ceramic materials are adopted for this decades ago. The first generation of this kind of
scope. Alumina is frequently used but also tita- implants showed initial success, but later they
nium oxide and calcium phosphate can be showed high failure rates essentially because the
employed. initial osseointegration was then followed by
Optimal surface roughness can be achieved delamination of the whole surface from the under-
with this method, and a recent review [5] reported lying titanium. For this reason their use was
average Ra values ranging from 0.6 to 2.1 m. abandoned.
Blasted implants show a better osseointegra- Modern coatings of HA instead are 1 m or
tion when compared with machined surfaces, but less in thickness due to the fact that HA particles
this does not reflect as a clinical advantage in are plasma sprayed on the surface of the implant.
terms of success/failure rates. The risk of developing the complications of the
first-generation HA-coated implants should be
Roughening of implants by anodization lower, but more clinical studies with long-term
follow-up are needed in order to definitely rec-
Porous surfaces are obtained in galvanostatic ommend them for clinical use.
chambers placing titanium implants in strong In summary, it has been shown that bone
acids at high potential (100 V). This electro- response to implant insertion is influenced by
chemical processing produces a thickening of the the surface topography. Many studies lack a
oxide layer on the implant surface to more than characterization of the topography, and even
1000 nm, this oxide layer is then dissolved by the machined surfaces can vary considerably in
strong acid in the solution along the current con- their topographical characteristics according to
vection lines, and this creates microscopic pores the turning techniques adopted by the manufac-
on the surface. turer. In light of this, it is difficult to compare
Anodized surfaces have been found to increase studies in an attempt to define which is the ideal
the bone response, most likely through increased surface. On the other hand, there is a general
mechanical interlocking and also creation of bio- evidence on the basis of animal and clinical
chemical bonding. From review of the literature, studies that roughening of the implant surface
anodized surfaces have been found to give a clin- leads to a stronger bone response [10].
ical advantage compared to machined ones when Moderately rough surfaces with Sa values
implants need to be placed and loaded between 1 m and 2 m and Sdr of 50 % are
immediately. considered to be optimal even if the biological
reasons of this are still unclear. The advantage
Roughening of implants by blasting + etching of rough surfaces when compared to machined
ones is to be found especially in those situa-
This is a combination of blasting and etching tions in which stronger bone response is needed,
techniques. In this way it is possible to obtain an for example, in case of poor bone quality or to
4 Bone Response to Implants 65
speed up the healing time when immediate or Moreover, comparative clinical studies with dif-
early loading protocols are adopted. ferent implant surfaces are rarely performed, and
it makes even more difficult to arrive at an objec-
tive conclusion (Table 4.1).
4.1.3 State of the Available
Evidence About the Current
Most Common Implant 4.1.4 Zirconia Dental Implants
Surfaces
Titanium dental implants with either smooth or
Considering that implant success rates reported rough surfaces show high success and survival
in the majority of the available studies exceed rates and have been used with confidence for
90 %, it is important to evaluate which surface the past few decades. Restorations supported by
modification gives better results in terms of more titanium implants might be compromised by
rapid osseointegration and reliability in more the dark color that can become exposed, espe-
challenging cases such as low bone quality or cially in the thin gingival biotype. For this rea-
elderly patients with expected poor healing, met- sons, due to the increased demand for esthetics,
abolic impairment, osteoporosis, etc. zirconia dental implants have emerged as an
It is evident that currently available methods alternative to titanium [13]. Ittrya-stabilized
of processing dental implant surfaces have the tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP) possesses some
potential to improve some of the abovementioned properties that render it suitable for implant
conditions, given the good results in animal and manufacturing, especially its high flexural
some clinical studies. On the other hand, attempts strength and fracture toughness. In vitro and
made to provide a statistical synthesis of the animal studies show promising results in term
available evidence on the topic were not consid- of osseointegration, soft tissue response, and
ered feasible after a systematic review of the lit- bacterial colonization. In the same way as tita-
erature, mainly because surface characterization nium, surface roughening seems to improve the
in most of the available studies is improperly per- bone response in terms of enhanced of
formed or not reported at all. osseointegration.
There is a lack of studies investigating the Regarding long-term stability, a phenomenon
influence of implant surface characteristics on known as aging of the material has emerged as a
the incidence of peri-implantitis. Animal studies problem for zirconia implants used in orthope-
and observational studies on humans [11] found dics. This process refers to a progressive trans-
no differences from a clinical and histological formation of the metastable tetragonal phase
point of view between rough and machined sur- into the monoclinic phase, which is detrimental
faces at various follow-up periods (few weeks up for the mechanical resistance of the material.
to 5 years). It is assumed that rough surfaces are Further long-term studies should be performed
more difficult to clean than a machined one; this in order to test if aging might become an issue
can contribute to the self-propagation of an estab- for dental implant use as well [14] (Fig. 4.7).
lished peri-implant disease, but some experimen- Currently, no scientific clinical data allows
tal studies on dogs have shown that, after to recommend the use of this type of implants,
cleaning, rough surfaces displayed a higher rate and it is a reason of concern that, albeit poten-
of re-osseointegration compared to machined tially successful both biologically and mechan-
surfaces [12]. ically, zirconia implants are available on the
What needs to be addressed is that still addi- market without long-term clinical investiga-
tional clinical studies with proper specification of tions supporting their safety and predictability
the implant surfaces adopted are needed in order on patients [15].
to provide strong indications over the use of a In conclusion, the use of zirconia implants is
surface over another in a given clinical situation. not recommended based on the available infor-
66
Table 4.1 Most diffuse implant surfaces with reported values of Sa and Sdr as measured by Wennerberg and Albrektsson [5]
Nobel
Biomet 3i Biomet 3i Biomet 3i Astra Tech Biocare Astra Tech Straumann Straumann
Prevail NanoTite Osseotite Branemark TiOblast TiUnite OsseoSpeed SLActive SLA
Surface Turned collar, CaP modifications Turned Turned Blasted Anodized Blasted with Acid-etched and Acid-etched and
characteristics acid-etched created discrete collar, with titanium dioxide grit blasted then grit blasted.
and processing body. Grade crystalline acid-etched titanium particles followed rinsed under Hydrophobic
methods 5 titanium, deposition implant dioxide by chemical nitrogen
which is body particles modifications by protection and
harder and hydrofluoric acid stored in NaCl
smoother solution.
Hydrophilic
Sa 0.3 m 0.5 m 0.68 m 0.9 1.1 m 1.1 m 1.4 m 1.75 m 1.78 m
Sdr 24.00 % 40.00 % 27.00 % 34.00 % 31.00 % 37.00 % 37.00 % 143.00 % 97.00 %
O. Iocca
4 Bone Response to Implants 67
mation, and much more research efforts are substantial buccal bone resorption compared to
needed before considering them as a viable alter- the lingual aspect. This is consistent with the fact
native to titanium implants. that the majority of the buccal plate is composed
by bundle bone and in consequence rapidly
resorbed following tooth extraction. Most of the
4.2 Bone Remodeling dimensional change occurs primarily in the first
After Dental Extraction 3 months. In quantitative terms it can be expected
and Tissue Healing that around 50 % reduction of the ridge will
Around Dental Implants occur following extraction, the molar regions
suffering the greatest rate of resorption. Absolute
Socket healing after tooth extraction gained con- values reported in the reviews based on clinical
siderable consideration in the dental research studies fall in the range of 3.04.0 mm on the
community due to the fact that the changes that horizontal dimension and 1.01.5 mm on the
occur after tooth extraction have important reper- vertical dimension. There is a general concor-
cussions on implant insertion, success rates, and dance in this value regardless of the measure-
esthetic results. ment methods adopted (surgical reentry or
The alveolar process is defined as the bone radiographical evaluation).
surrounding the tooth. The inner portion of the Caneva and col. [19] experimentally placed
alveolar socket is composed by bundle bone immediate implants in fresh extraction sockets of
(alveolar bone proper) where there is the inser- six dogs; the conclusion was that implants should
tion of the Sharpeys fibers of the periodontal be positioned at least 1 mm below the alveolar
ligament. This portion of the socket is a tooth- crest and lingually positioned in relation to the
dependent tissue distinguished from the alveolar center of the crest (Fig. 4.9). Tomasi and col.
bone which, contrarily to what happens for the evaluated in a human study the position of the
bundle bone, persists even after tooth extraction. implant and its relation to buccal crest resorption.
Dimensional changes occur after tooth extrac- The results showed that the buccolingual position
tion and they have been studied both in animal of the implant has an influence on the amount of
and human studies. It is now clear that there is buccal crest resorption.
always some sort of alveolar ridge reduction fol- One meta-analysis specifically addressed the
lowing tooth loss, both in vertical and horizontal issue of bone modeling after immediate implant
dimensions [16, 70] (Fig. 4.8). Two recent insertion in a clinical setting; in this study, the
reviews analyzed bone dimensional changes of usual pattern of more pronounced resorption on
post-extraction sockets in humans [17, 18] the horizontal aspect opposed to the vertical one
(Table 4.2). Both are concordant on the fact that, was confirmed but considered to be more modest
on average, the bone loss in width is greater than when compared to post-extraction sites without
the loss in height and that there is a more implant placement [20].
68 O. Iocca
a b c
Fig. 4.8 (ac) Alveolar ridge alterations after extraction, tion (c). L lingual, B buccal, C blood clot, PM provisional
histologic examination (HE 16 magnification) in beagle matrix, WB woven bone, BM bone marrow (Reproduced
dogs at 1 week (a), 2 weeks (b), and 8 weeks after extrac- with permission from Araujo and col.)
Table 4.2 Systematic reviews evaluating the bone contour which may render necessary a soft and
dimensional changes of post-extraction sockets in humans hard tissue graft at the moment of implant place-
Alveolar Alveolar ment or at the moment of implant uncovering.
width height Finally, the current evidence does not seem to
Studies change in change in
included in mm (95 % mm (95 % show that immediate implant placement by itself
the review CI) CI) is able to preserve the bone resorption after
Van der RCT, 3.87 1.67 extraction. Weak evidence exists that immediate
Weijden clinical (3.74.06) (1.41.9) placement may slightly reduce the amount of
and col. trials, case
resorption, but more studies are needed to con-
series
firm these results [22].
Tan and col. RCT, 3.79 1.24
clinical (2.464.56) (0.81.5)
trials, cohort
studies 4.2.1 Alveolar Ridge Preservation
Prior to Implant Placement
Knowledge of bone resorption patterns is impor- Alveolar ridge preservation techniques involve
tant for the implantologist because of their reper- the insertion of a grafting material into the extrac-
cussions on clinical decision-making. For example, tion socket in order to minimize as much as pos-
placement of an implant immediately after extrac- sible the alveolar process reduction in width and
tion has to take into account the bone resorption that height. Different biomaterials have been used to
will inevitably occur. A space of at least 2 mm obtain this scope with different degrees of suc-
should be left between the implant and the buccal cess [23]. Materials available include:
bone surface; otherwise the resorption that will
occur in the following months would be the cause of Autografts bone harvested from the same
exposure of some of the implant surface [21]. patient
Moreover, bone resorption in the esthetic Allograft bone grafted from the same species
areas may lead to loss of the physiologic bone (cadaver bone)
4 Bone Response to Implants 69
Xenografts bone harvested from other species, which are described in Tables 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5
for example, bovine bone [2426].
Alloplast synthetic material Both works found that alveolar ridge preser-
vation techniques limit the physiologic ridge
A problem in analyzing the effect of alveolar reduction when compared to unassisted healing
ridge preservation techniques is that the majority and also point out that the effects of ARP are very
of the studies on this topic are case reports, case variable, most likely for the influence of local and
series, or inadequately performed clinical trials. systemic factors.
As a consequence of this methodological and Anyway, one aspect on which all the system-
clinical heterogeneity, many systematic reviews atic reviews are concordant is that ridge preserva-
performed are not able to provide relevant out- tion procedures limit, although cannot stop
comes such as linear or volumetric changes. The completely, the buccolingual width and buccal
available meta-analyses on RCTs and non ran- wall height reduction when compared to unas-
domized trials provided quantitative results sisted socket healing. It is still unclear what bio-
material gives a clear advantage over another. osseointegration include coagulum formation,
Also, it is not well defined which one of the avail- granulation tissue, formation of a provisional
able techniques allow to obtain the best results. matrix, woven bone development, and finally
Regarding the results on flap vs. flapless extrac- lamellar bone organization (Fig. 4.10).
tion of teeth, conflicting results emerge from the Abrahamsson and col. described a dog model in
reviews; some studies strongly recommend to which two types of screw-type implants with dif-
avoid flap surgery, but others suggest that the sur- ferent surfaces, one sand blasted/acid-etched and
gical technique does not have an influence on the the other machined, were studied histologically
alveolar resorption outcomes [27]. at different time points. The results of the study
The use of barrier membranes seems to show no constitute an excellent model of osseointegration
clear advantage compared to use of no barrier at all. [33]. These were the histological observations for
A Cochrane review on the argument [23] con- the rough implant surface:
firms this assumption and adds that there is no
evidence to conclude that the socket preservation In the first few hours following implant instal-
techniques have any impact to the look or lasting lation, blood clot is in contact with the implant
qualities of implant restorations. surfaces, so that erythrocytes, neutrophils, and
As mentioned before, the main reason for these macrophages are trapped in a network of
unclear results reside in the fact that the majority fibrin. In 34 days, the clot is replaced by
of the studies included in the systematic reviews granulation tissue composed by mesenchymal
are at high risk of bias like unclear randomization cells; disorganized connective tissue matrix
process, blinding of patient/examiner, and unclear and the first vessel sprouts are evident.
selection of representative population group. In 1 week most of the inflammatory cells are
Also, the high heterogeneity between the studies resorbed and immature woven bone can be
is another factor to consider [28]. evidenced together with newly formed ves-
In summary, the rationale behind alveolar ridge sels. After 2 weeks woven bone formation is
preservation techniques is that extraction of a tooth more pronounced and surrounds the whole
will inevitably lead to a reduction in alveolar pro- implant mixed with old bone which is a clear
cess height and width. Therefore, trying to mini- sign of osteogenesis. Osteoclast formation is
mize this process is desirable both from surgical evidenced and contributes to bone
and prosthetic reasons, especially in esthetic areas. remodeling.
Decision of grafting a post-extraction socket Four weeks after implant insertion, newly
should be evaluated carefully because, even if it is formed mineralized bone extends from the
a simple technique with low risk of complications, prepared bone surface to the implant coating.
it adds a cost to the patient [2931]. Primary bone marrow can be seen rich in vas-
There is evidence that shrinking of the alveolar cular structures and mesenchymal cells.
process can be minimized by some extent but, In 612 weeks, bone enters the remodeling
mainly due to the high variability in results phase, more mature bone with the presence of
between comparable clinical studies, net conclu- primary and secondary osteons is evident.
sions on materials and techniques to adopt are still Both lamellar and parallel fiber bone deposi-
unclear and further research is needed in order to tion are represented. Mature bone and bone
draw stronger conclusions on the argument. marrow will remain in contact with the device
surface at the end of the 12th week.
4.3 Bone Integration of Dental In general, the same sequence of events could
Implants be described for the polished surface but some
major differences need to be outlined. First,
Osseointegration is defined as the direct bone-to- roughened implants showed higher bone-to-
implant contact without apposition of fibrous tis- implant contact (BIC) compared with polished
sue. Temporal sequence of events that lead to ones, and this was constant at different time
72 O. Iocca
a
b
Fig. 4.10 Light micrographs illustrating the implant- surface. (c) Initial bone apposition on the implant and ini-
tissue interface and the peri-implant tissues of an SLA tial bone formation in the soft tissue is associated with
implant after 14 days of healing. The upper and lower bone debris and bone particles. Note the presence of bone
rectangles in (a) are enlarged in (b) and (c), respectively. marrow (BM) close to the old bone. (d) A higher magni-
(a) The old bone (OB) is in point contact with the pitches fication illustrates initial bone formation (arrows) in the
of the thread, whereas the interthread portion is filled provisional soft tissue matrix and on the implant surface.
with a provisional soft tissue matrix and newly formed Note the presence of bone debris on the implant surface,
bone. (b) The newly formed bone (arrows) forms a tra- which are more intensely stained than the mineralized
becular network connecting the surface of the old bone matrix of the newly formed bone. The adjacent osteoid is
with that of the implant. Note that the trabecular network weekly stained (Reproduced with permission from
follows the paths where bone debris (BD) is present in the Bosshardt and col.)
matrix of the provisional soft tissue and on the implant
points. Second, bone formation on roughened between the roughened surface and the newly
surfaces was characterized by the so-called con- formed bone. On the other hand, on the polished
tact osteogenesis, in other words a direct contact surfaces only distant osteogenesis occurred, with
4 Bone Response to Implants 73
newly formed bone extending from the old bone remodeling at the implant surface have taken
toward the implant surface. place (see above).
It is important to recall that a dog model, One of the main objectives at the moment of
although giving very important clues on how implant placement is to obtain high values of pri-
bone healing around dental implant occurs, could mary stability, as measured immediately after
not reflect the exact temporal sequence of events insertion, which allows the implant to mechani-
that occur in humans. Actually, it is known that cally lock to the host bone until secondary stabil-
healing processes in dogs occur at a faster rate ity is achieved.
compared to humans. Micromotion consists of relative movement
Interesting insights in the process of osseointe- between the implant surface and the adjacent
gration may come from studies using in vivo gene bone during functional loading. Primary stability
expression profiles on rats. Donos and col. [34] affects the resistance to micromotion and has
evaluated the gene expression profile of bone on been shown to ensure proper bone healing and
micro-rough surface (SLA) versus machined sur- osseointegration [40].
face implants inserted in rats calvaria defects at 7 There is no consensus regarding minimum or
and 14 days. While after 1 week, the differences maximum recommended values of primary sta-
in gene expression were minimal between the two bility. Clinical studies report that the stability
groups, after 14 days a large number of genes should be such to avoid implant mobility at clini-
have been shown to be expressed at different rates cal evaluation immediately after the insertion.
in the SLA group compared to the machined one. Methods for objectively assessing the stability
In particular, regeneration-associated genes like of the implant are the periotest (PT) and the reso-
Notch-1 were upregulated in the SLA group. The nance frequency analysis (RFA). PT gauges tem-
same was true for mesenchymal cell differentia- poral contact of the tip of the device during
tion genes typically expressed during craniofacial repetitive percussions on the implant. PT values
development like Fgfr-1, Fgfr-2, and Sox9. (range varies from 8 to 50) are the signals pro-
Angiogenesis genes and skeletal development duced by the tapping that reflect the values of
genes were overexpressed as well. mobility of the implant.
Anyway, the major pathway that was differen- RFA applies the basic vibration theory in
tially upregulated in the SLA group was the Wnt, which there is a transducer applied to the top of
which is thought to be a major regulator of regen- the implant which is then excited over a range of
erative response to different Ti surfaces. frequencies. The resultant resonance frequency
The results of this study corroborate the values are dependent on the stiffness of the struc-
hypothesis that bone response to implant surfaces ture, so that a decrease in frequency is related to
is differentially regulated according to the sur- a decrease in stability.
face characteristics, especially after 2 weeks the Even if RFA techniques have been found to be
genes associated with bone healing and regenera- more accurate in depicting the primary stability
tion are preferentially expressed on micro-rough values, there are no clinical studies today that
surfaces [3538]. allow to state that the use of this instrumentation
leads to higher success rates.
A more diffuse and practical way to assess pri-
4.3.1 Implant Stability mary stability is the measurement of insertion
torque values (ITV) during implant placement
Adequate stability of the implant is considered to and seating which can be evaluated with implant
be crucial for appropriate healing and osseointe- motors that allow to set the torque values in N/cm
gration [39]. It is possible to define a primary sta- and finally the use of a manual wrench with
bility which occurs at the time of implant torque control. It has been shown that ITV reflects
placement and a secondary stability which bone quality and quantity, primary mechanical
instead occurs after bone regeneration and stability, and the bone-implant contact [41].
74 O. Iocca
Torque values of >32 N/cm have been consid- implants showed higher insertion torque when
ered as minimal values in order to achieve high compared to conical shaped implants [45].
success rates in case of immediate loading [42]. Surgical drilling technique seems to be more
Factors influencing primary stability are bone important than implant design, in the sense that
quality, implant design, and placement decreasing the diameter of the last drill it is pos-
technique. sible to increase the primary stability. An under-
Bone quality is commonly evaluated using the sized preparation site of insertion increases the
criteria established by Lekholm and Zarb [43]. In primary stability, and this is more evident in the
this classification, bone quality is subdivided in case of low bone density.
four types, from type I which is the denser to type Regarding the implant surface, anodized sur-
IV which is the softest. faces showed the best results in terms of primary
This classification although very practical may implant stability when compared to acid-etched
suffer of some amount of subjectivity, and it is not and machined implants [46].
clearly defined the way on how to measure the bone
density. It is common for the clinician to determine
it with the tactile perception at the moment of 4.3.2 Type IV Bone and Longevity
implant bed preparation. Nowadays, with the wide- of Dental Implants
spread use of cone beam computed tomography, it
is now easier to perform a morphological and quan- It is assumed that implants inserted in type IV (soft
titative analysis of the bone estimating the bone bone) bone have reduced survival rates, given that
mineral density in Hounsfield units (HU). such bone type confer reduced primary stability.
In the review by Marquezan and col. [44], a Goiato and col. [47] investigated if longev-
positive correlation has been found between high ity of dental implants inserted in type IV bone
HU measured in preoperative CBCT and primary is reduced compared to implants inserted in
stability of dental implants, correlation coeffi- better quality bone. In their review including
cients ranged from 0.46 to 0.88, in other terms RCTs, retrospective and prospective studies, it
the association was considered to be moderate to was found that the cumulative survival rate of
high. Higher HU values correlated strongly with implants inserted in type IV bone was 88.8 %,
high insertion torques values. which was lower compared to the survival rate
Elias and col. [4] evaluated primary stability of other bone types (97.7 %, 96.2 %, 96.4 %,
of dental implants experimentally on synthetic respectively, for type I, II, and III). Although
bone or natural bone (swine rib). Implants of dif- suggestive, these results suffer from the fact
ferent design and surface characteristics were that just a small number of implant were
evaluated for insertional and removal torques. inserted in type IV bone; moreover most stud-
The results showed that primary stability of den- ies did not clearly reported the jaw regions in
tal implants is determined by the bone properties. which they were inserted. Lastly, results were
Using the same surgical technique and implant not analyzed in subgroups regarding the type
design, when the implant was placed in a denser of prosthesis used, and this information should
substrate, the insertional and removal torque val- be of particular importance because it is likely
ues increased; in clinical terms, this means that as that full mouth rehabilitation with implants
bone density increases, the primary stability splinted together could have less micro-move-
increases proportionally. ments and consequently improved rate of
Regarding the implant design, larger diameter osseointegration compared to single implants.
and longer implants are associated with higher Nevertheless, analysis of the literature con-
insertional and removal torque values; this sug- firms the assumption that implant treatment in
gests that, when it is feasible and especially in regions of poor bone quality may imply
low bone qualities, larger and longer implants reduced implant survival rates compared to the
warrant a high primary stability. Also, tapered other bone types.
4 Bone Response to Implants 75
Frost defined four levels of mechanical strain The review of Naert and col.[53] concluded
on long bones but these categories can be that it seems that overload coming from experi-
extended to the mandible and maxilla [49]. The mental supra-occlusal contacts did not seem to
four microstrain zones are disuse (<200 ), have an impact on osseointegration when good
steady state (2002500 ), physiological over- oral hygiene was maintained. On the other hand,
load (25003500 ), and pathological loading the same kind of overload seemed to increase the
(>3500 ). It is important to remark that this peri-implant bone resorption caused by plaque-
classification applies to static loads; therefore for induced inflammation.
the mandible and maxilla, this is a very wide gen- At the current state, it is impossible to state
eralization considered that the forces exerted on with certainty which is the role of excessive load
these bones are usually cyclic. Moreover, the on peri-implant bone. Animal studies seem to
definition of overload in dentistry is not clear, indicate that overload should not be a common
and anyway models simulating the amount of cause of loss of osseointegration, but at the same
load on a prosthesis do not take into account the time, it can contribute to speed up the plaque-
stress produced at the bone-implant surface, induced bone resorption.
because it cannot be measured directly in vivo. Given the uncertainty of the biological and
Finite element analysis can simulate it, but it is clinical effects of cyclic and static overload on
based on too many assumptions regarding the the peri-implant bone, general recommendations
human bone physical properties. Today the stress of avoiding precontacts and careful treatment
produced at the bone-implant interface in the dif- planning in parafunctional patients remain any-
ferent loading situations remains unknown. way valid.
Overloading of dental implants is considered
to cause loss of osseointegration, but evidence
that confirms this claim is still lacking. Chang and 4.5 Immediate Placement
col. [50] reviewed both animal and clinical stud- of Implants in Infected Sites
ies on this argument. Lack of RCTs is obvious,
given that they would be considered unethical, but It is a common occurrence that a tooth that needs
other sources of evidence are sparse as well. to be extracted exhibits a periapical or periodon-
All the available experiments on animal, in tal pathology.
particular on monkeys and dogs, showed no sig- Worries exist that implant survival could be
nificant implant loss when static or dynamic impacted by the presence of residual bacteria in
overload was applied. Instead, regarding the BIC sites of chronic inflammation and infection. It has
evaluation, a static load on dental implants been shown that even after careful debridement
seemed to increase the remodeling activity of of the infected tissue and irrigation of the socket,
peri-implant bone [51]. pathogenic bacteria may still persist in healed
Clinical observations coming from case bone [54]. Retrograde peri-implantitis may there-
reports and cohort studies gave no strong evi- fore develop, although its occurrence is just
dence that excessive load was the cause of sparsely reported in the literature.
reported implant failure, mainly because the defi- Animal studies conducted in dogs attempted to
nition of overloading itself was considered to be evaluate the osseointegration and BIC values of
totally subjective and changing in the different implants placed in experimentally created peri-
studies [52]. apical lesions. Novaes and col. [55] in a study on
Marginal bone loss has been reported in retro- dogs created large periapical lesions exposing the
spective studies as a result of overload, but it was canal space to the oral cavity for 9 months; BIC
not clear if this showed that it was caused by an values measured around immediately placed
actual excessive load or other causes, like poor implants were not different compared to the
oral hygiene, played a role. healthy ones.
4 Bone Response to Implants 77
The same was true in another study on experi- When the tip comes in contract with the bone,
mentally created chronic periodontal lesions on the so-called cavitation effect causes a mechani-
dogs in which immediate implants were placed cal cutting of the mineralized tissue. Ultrasound
and then analyzed after 3 months of healing [56]. frequency is in the range of 2530 kHz which
A systematic review on this topic showed that lead to the formation of microvibrations of
survival rates of implants placed in endodonti- 60210 m of amplitude, generating a power
cally or periodontally affected sites were similar level of 5 W. Piezosurgery requires adequate irri-
to implants placed in healthy sites [57]. In fact, gation in order to avoid overheating of bone and
analysis of prospective and retrospective studies the following necrosis; this can be obtained pref-
showed that, once primary stability is achieved, erably with continuous irrigation with saline
immediate implants in infected sites did not lead solution precooled at 4 C [61].
to an increased rate of complications or failures. Minimal pressure of the tip on the area of
Suggested protocols to treat the infected tissue interest guarantees the greatest cutting efficiency;
before implant placement included deep debride- oppositely a greater pressure limits the amount of
ment, systemic or topic antibiotic administration, cutting and generates more heat. Therefore, the
and GBR with or without grafting. Also chlorhex- best clinical results are achieved with delicate
idine rinse was suggested in the postoperative pressure and continuous movement of the tip.
period in order to reduce the frequency of infec- Piezosurgery is particularly useful when deli-
tive complications [58]. cate structures such as mandibular nerve or
The limited short-term data available from Schneiderian sinus membrane are at risk of dam-
both animal and human studies suggest that high age; this is because direct exposure to the piezo-
survival rates and normal marginal bone changes electric tip does not cause dissection of the soft
can be obtained with implant placement in tissues. Piezosurgery also provides a clear surgical
infected sites given that appropriate clinical pro- field because the cavitation effect at the air-water
cedures are adopted before placement. No com- interface leads to production of gas bubbles that are
parisons are available in regard of the best way to considered to wash away blood from the field [62].
clean and debride the infected socket or the ideal Different tips are available for the various uses
use of systemic antibiotics. Nevertheless it can be in oral and maxillofacial applications, from end-
generally assumed that deep debridement with odontic surgery to implant site preparation and oth-
curettes, systemic antibiotic administration, irri- ers. Also, different modes can be set for the various
gation with antibiotic or H2O2, and chlorhexi- uses: low mode for apical surgery, boosted mode
dine 0.12 % rinses in the postoperative period for osteoplasties and osteotomies, and high mode
should guarantee good results similar to implants for cleaning and smoothening bone borders.
placed in noninfected sites [59, 60]. Potential advantages of implant site prepara-
tion resides in the fact that use of piezoelectric
preparation tips should cause less trauma to the
4.6 Bone Response and Implant prepared bone compared to conventional prepa-
Placement with Piezosurgery ration burs. Moreover, when implant site prepara-
tion is close to delicate structures, the use of the
Piezosurgery instrumentation is based on the Piezosurgery should reduce the risk of surgical
piezoelectric effect, in which some ceramics and complications [63].
crystals deform when an electric current passes Vercellotti and col. [62] evaluated the osseous
through them. The deformation causes the response to Piezosurgery in a dog model com-
ceramic to oscillate and produce an ultrasonic fre- pared to conventional burs. Histologic results after
quency. These oscillations are then transferred to 56 days showed an osseous repair of the surgical
the vibration tip connected to a handpiece which sites, while the site treated with carbide or dia-
will be applied by the clinician to the tissues. mond burs exhibited some amount of bone loss.
78 O. Iocca
Another animal study on minipigs in which performed all the procedures. Larger trials are
implant sites where prepared with Piezosurgery needed to confirm these positive results.
or conventional drilling showed a more consis- One of the reported disadvantages of
tent osteogenesis in terms of increase of BMP-4 Piezosurgery is the relative lack of cutting effi-
and TGF-2 expression for piezo group [63]. ciency on the cortical bone, but this is counter-
There is a lack of RCTs comparing acted by the reduced risks of traumatizing the
Piezosurgery preparation techniques with con- bone and the soft tissue structures [65]. Also, the
ventional ones. On the other hand, observational greatest surgical safety is paid back in terms of
studies showed the safety for the various clinical increased working time [66].
applications of the piezoelectric technology. Although quantitative reviews or meta-
Stacchi and col. [64] evaluated in an RCT the analysis are not feasible yet due to the lack of
implant stability (in ISQ values) using different properly designed studies, it is clear that
site preparation techniques. ISQ measurements Piezosurgery technology is a very promising tool
were performed at specific time points up to 90 for applications in oral surgery and implantology
days. Results showed an initial decrease and early (Fig. 4.12). Soft tissue protection is one of the
increase of ISQ values in the piezoelectric group, main advantages, but also the reduced bone
which were always higher than the conventional trauma, clean surgical field, and potential greater
preparation group. This was considered sugges- primary stability are all factors that are every
tive of faster bone healing probably thanks to the important for implant surgery applications [67].
reduced bone trauma and the consequent lowered Well-designed studies are needed to confirm if
inflammation and bone resorption. Anyway, it these positive aspects are also reflected in greater
should be remembered that just 40 patients were implant survival and success rates when com-
included in the study and that a single operator pared to traditional surgical techniques.
a c
b d
Fig. 4.12 (ak) Sequence for implant site preparation tion (d, e), third tip for coronal bone enlargement (f, g),
with Piezosurgery tips. Bone crest exposed (a), first tip for final tip and implant insertion (hk)
initial bone penetration (b, c), second tip for site negotia-
4 Bone Response to Implants 79
e f
g h
i j
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Implant Placement and Loading
Time
5
Oreste Iocca and Simn Pardias Lpez
Abstract
The first protocol proposed by Brnemark extended the treatment time to
more than 1 year after extraction. Since then a tendency toward an accel-
eration toward the final prostheses delivery has been made possible by the
development of new implant designs and surfaces and by an increased
understanding of the processes of osseointegration.
The knowledge of the physiologic mechanisms of socket resorption
after extraction allows to reliably place an immediate implant. Moreover,
in the majority of the situations, immediate placement and loading can
give esthetic outcomes comparable to conventional protocols. Also, imme-
diate placement in previously infected sockets may be possible after accu-
rate debridement and antibiotic use.
Regarding the loading time, early or immediate protocols seem to give
comparable results to the conventional ones.
One important aspect to consider is the possibility of accelerating the
loading time of implant overdentures (OVD), which is advisable due to the
prompt restoration of function and esthetics in the vulnerable elderly
population.
understanding of bone healing processes and time and the invasivity of the procedures.
osseointegration have led to development of pro- Immediate placement in fresh extraction sockets
tocols for immediate insertion and immediate or gives the advantage of reducing the number of
early loading. Some confusion still exists regard- surgical procedures, and, if possible, immediate
ing the exact definitions of terms; therefore, it is delivery of a provisional restoration so that
better to give some definitions commonly esthetics is maintained and the patient does not
accepted in the dental literature [1]: suffer psychologically for the loss of his/her
dentition.
Conventional (delayed) placement any implant On the other hand, potential complications
inserted at least 2 months after tooth include an increased risk of infection from resid-
extraction ual bacterial niches in the extraction socket or
Conventional (delayed) loading any implant- poor esthetic outcomes that may follow the expo-
supported prosthesis loaded at least 2 months sure of the implant following the unpredictable
after implant placement amount of alveolar wall resorption.
Immediate implant placement any implant placed As discussed in the previous chapter, a sig-
in fresh extraction sockets after tooth nificant reduction in alveolar width and height
extraction occurs following tooth extraction. It has been a
Immediate loading any implant-supported pros- matter of debate if immediate insertion of an
thesis loaded earlier than 1 week subsequent implant into the fresh extraction socket can pre-
to implant placement vent the loss of soft and hard tissue at the extrac-
Early placement any implant placed in healing tion site. Recently a series of experimental
extraction sockets within 1 week and 2 months studies on dogs clarified that immediate implant
after extraction placement is not able to prevent the physiologic
Early loading any implant-supported prosthesis resorption of the alveolar bone, though can
loaded between 1 week and 2 months follow- reduce it by a variable amount. Also, at sites
ing implant placement where teeth with intact periodontal tissues are
present, the height of interproximal bone can be
The main advantages of shortened protocols maintained, and the resorption is limited to the
are (a) reduction of treatment time which has an buccal bone [2]. For this reason it was suggested
impact on the satisfaction levels of the patient; to place the implant lingually compared to the
(b) in the case of immediate insertion, avoidance center of the crest just to prevent the exposure of
of a second surgical procedure; and (c) possibil- the implant surface.
ity to maintain a good esthetic appearance soon Subsequently, several clinical prospective
after the extraction in case of immediate studies have provided clinical data confirming
loading. the observations on animal model [3, 4].
However, there is a need to critically review More lingual placement of the implant creates
the existing literature on this topic because poten- a gap between the implant and the buccal alveolar
tial problems may arise if shortened placement/ wall. This gap can be of different dimensions
loading protocols are adopted, and although according to the morphology of the socket and
much research has been produced, some conflict- the diameter of the chosen implants. Considered
ing evidence emerges from the literature. that the buccolingual width reduction can approx-
imate 50 % of the ridge, it is advisable to leave at
least a gap of 1 mm in order to prevent implant
5.1.1 Placement Protocols exposure (Fig. 5.1). It has been a matter of debate
if healing of the gap can be improved with some
When extraction of one or more teeth is per- kind of graft [5]. Many studies have showed that
formed, it would be preferable for both the the defect heals optimally without the need of
patient and the clinician to reduce the treatment intervention; only in the presence of a dehiscence,
5 Implant Placement and Loading Time 85
a b
c d
Fig. 5.1 (ad) Immediate implant placement tooth #15. Root fragment is extracted (a, b), immediate implant placement
leaving a buccal gap of at least 1 mm (c, d)
86 O. Iocca and S. Pardias Lpez
a graft with alloplastic material seemed to confer placed implants showed higher failure rates than
some benefits [6]. conventional ones. Of course, this is accentuated
One aspect to consider for immediate place- in the maxilla where primary stability is fre-
ment protocols is the specific anatomical region quently more difficult to achieve due to the poor
of the arch in which the implant is placed. In bone quality.
theory, it is expected that the grater loading forces The authors compared also immediate single
exerted on the molar and premolar regions may implants versus immediate full-arch restorations;
have a detrimental effect on the implant, but no failure rates were found to be higher for implants
evidence exists that immediate placement of supporting a single crown.
implants in the posterior location leads to inferior This can be explained by the fact that full-arch
survival rates or increased risk of complications. prostheses allow splinting of the implants to one
Survival rates of immediately placed implants another, reducing the micromovements and the
are well above 90 % in the majority of available stress at the bone-implant interface.
studies (Tables 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3). The meta-
analysis on RCT by Esposito and coll. [7] did not 5.1.1.1 Soft Tissue and Esthetic
show any statistical difference between immedi- Outcomes
ate and delayed placement, even if a trend favor- There is some reason to believe that immedi-
ing this last one was suggested. ately placed implants may have a role in preser-
Conversely, another meta-analysis [8] arrived vation of optimal soft tissue contours. However,
at the conclusion that in the maxilla, the failure studies have shown that this may be true at a
rate was higher than in the mandible. Moreover, short-term evaluation, but after 1 year of func-
regardless of the site of placement, immediately tion, there are no appreciable differences
Table. 5.1 Meta-analyses evaluating different loading time protocols implant failure
Immediate loading
versus conventional
Included Effect loading Statistically
studies size Results (95 % CI) Clinical meaning significant
Esposito and RCT RR 1.92 (0.705.22) In favor of No
coll. (2008) conventional loading
1-year follow-up
after loading
Sanz-Sanchez and RCT RR 1.92 (1.043.54) In favor of Yes
coll. (2014) conventional loading
6 months of
follow-up after
loading
Atieh and coll. RCT, RR 5.00 (2.012.84) In favor of Yes
Single crown non- conventional loading
implants only randomized
1-year follow-up trials
after loading
Benic and coll. RCT OR 0.77 (0.311.93) In favor of No
(2014) conventional loading
Single crown
implants only
1-year follow-up
after loading
Engelhardt and coll. RCT RR 0.82 (0.351.94) In favor of No
2015 conventional loading
1-year follow-up
after loading
5 Implant Placement and Loading Time 87
Table. 5.2 Meta-analyses evaluating different loading time protocols implant failure
Immediate loading
Included versus early loading Clinical Statistically
studies Effect size Results (95 % CI) meaning significant
Esposito and coll. RCT RR 0.65 (0.261.63) In favor of No
(2008) immediate
1-year follow-up loading
after loading
Schrott RCT, RR 0.9 (0.302.70) In favor of No
and coll. non- immediate
1-year follow-up randomized loading
after loading trials
Xu and coll. (2014) RCT OR 0.32 (0.0641.61) In favor of No
1-year follow-up conventional
after loading loading
RR relative risk
between immediate and conventional place- It is well known that esthetic outcomes depend
ment protocols. Considered that one of the largely on a healthy soft tissue, a healthy bone,
main objectives of immediate or early place- and a properly manufactured prosthesis. In par-
ment is to achieve optimal esthetic results, it is ticular, interproximal papillae and marginal gin-
important to establish if this is actually giva play a fundamental role in terms of esthetics
possible. and patient perception of beauty; in other words,
88 O. Iocca and S. Pardias Lpez
the papillae adjacent to the implant and the acceptable esthetic outcomes may be achieved
mid-buccal gingiva should mimic those of a for single implants placed following tooth extrac-
healthy tooth. When analyzing the clinical stud- tion even if higher frequency of recession >1 mm
ies reporting the esthetic outcomes, it is impor- of the mid-buccal mucosa was reported when
tant to take in mind that subjective measurements compared to delayed placement. Regarding
are frequently adopted and a lack of standardized papilla recession, the authors concluded that
techniques in esthetic evaluation and reporting is 0.51 mm of papilla loss is to be expected regard-
a common pitfall of many implant studies [9]. less of flap or flapless surgery.
Pink esthetic score (PES) was proposed for Considered that the majority of the studies
evaluation of gingiva, tooth, and implant restora- show a lack of uniformity in the assessment of
tion esthetics. This is a visual evaluation in which the esthetic result and that the esthetic indexes
a score going from 0 (poor esthetics) to 10 (excel- are infrequently adopted, it is difficult to arrive at
lent esthetics) is assigned to mesial and distal an objective quantification of the esthetic
papilla, facial mucosa, root convexity, and tissue outcomes.
color and texture. In this case, the problem is that In general terms it is possible to conclude that
few studies adopt this score for reporting the immediate implant placement gives acceptable
esthetic outcomes and anyway it is liable to a cer- results in terms of esthetics (Fig. 5.2), but long-
tain degree of subjectivity. term studies comparing immediate with conven-
For these reasons, surrogate end points of the tional placement are needed in order to arrive at
esthetic outcomes are adopted; these are the definitive conclusions.
clinical soft tissue height variation and the radio-
graphic marginal bone level (MBL) change. 5.1.1.2 Immediate Placement
A recent review [10] on immediately placed of Implants in Infected Sites
implants in the anterior maxilla evaluated the It has been a matter of controversy if it is safe to
main risk factors for poor esthetic outcomes. place an implant in a fresh extraction socket
Because of underreporting, in the included stud- which is site of inflammation or infection deriv-
ies, no esthetic indexes were considered for ing from endodontic or periodontal pathology.
review. Instead, mean bone level changes after 1 Some clinical reports suggested that a history of
year of loading were considered, and the results periodontal of endodontic disease can be a pre-
showed that delayed provisionalization, use of a dictive marker of implant failure. A situation
flap, and use of connective tissue grafts were sig- considered to be at high risk of developing the
nificantly associated with bone loss >0.50 mm. so-called retrograde peri-implantitis is that one
Khzam and coll. [11] analyzed studies evalu- in which residual bacterial niches typical of
ating the soft tissue outcomes of immediately periapical pathosis, such as Bacteroides species,
placed implants in anterior maxilla. Regarding persist around the implant and cause peri-
papilla modification, a mean loss of implant infection and ultimately treatment fail-
0.23 0.27 mm occurred after 3 months, but a ure [12]. Also previous periodontal pathology
papillary rebound was evidenced after 1 year of has been considered the cause of similar prob-
crown placement; this means that interdental lems due to the persistence of periodontal
papillae around definitive restorations tend to pathogens and subsequent inflammatory
regrow and compensate for the initial loss. Mid- response around the implant which can impair
buccal gingival recession instead gave a mean of osseointegration.
0.27 0.38 after at least 1 year of follow-up. The Anyway, these problems were evidenced only
authors also reported that around 11 % of the in case series or case reports, contrasting with the
studies showed important mid-buccal recessions fact that animal studies in which proper debride-
(>1 mm). ment and prophylactic use of antibiotics allowed
The systematic review and meta-analysis of to obtain proper osseointegration after immediate
Chen and coll. [9] arrived at the conclusion that implant placement. For this reason in the last few
5 Implant Placement and Loading Time 89
a b
c d
Fig. 5.2 Tooth #14 needs to be extracted due to the presence of a vertical fracture (a, b). Immediate implant placement
is performed and provisional crown is applied (c, d). Optimal esthetic outcomes at 3 months follow-up (e)
years, a number of reviews have been published considered that no study has been found compar-
in order to clarify this issue. ing specifically the use of different antibiotics
A recent review based on retrospective stud- and dosages in case of immediate placement.
ies, prospective studies, controlled clinical trials, Also the use of antibiotic irrigation prior to
and randomized clinical trials [13] arrived at the implant placement remains unclear.
conclusion that immediate implant placement in Another review [14] based on human case
infected extraction sockets can be successful series and one randomized trial gives weak evi-
after thorough debridement and postoperative dence that patients with residual inflammatory
care with antibiotics and chlorhexidine rinses. lesions and infections can be treated with imme-
Even if definitive recommendations on which diate implant placement after debridement and
type of antibiotic and dosage could not be drawn use of systemic antibiotics.
90 O. Iocca and S. Pardias Lpez
The same conclusions are drawn by Alvarez- this becomes particularly important for the fully
Camino and coll. [15]. They found no contraindi- edentulous patient who, if treated with the con-
cations in recommending immediate implant ventional protocols, needs to wear a removable
placement in infected sockets. denture for months before uncovering, provision-
In conclusion, on the basis of the available lit- alization, and loading of the definitive
erature, it is possible to state that placement of restoration.
immediate implants into infected extraction sites Therefore, it is important to understand if
is possible without fear of much higher failure accelerated loading protocols are comparable in
rates when compared to implants placed in terms of survival and success rate to conventional
healthy sockets (Fig. 5.3). On the other hand, the treatment solutions. Also, it would be desirable to
lack of well-designed RCT on this topic does not know if implants loaded in the maxilla or the
allow to draw definitive conclusion regarding the mandible give different results.
perioperative management of the patient in this The Cochrane review of RCT by Esposito and
situations. It is anyway reasonable that a full coll. [16] analyzed immediate, early, and conven-
course of systemic antibiotics and deep debride- tional loading strategies between each other. The
ment of the socket before implant placement may results of the meta-analysis, although no statisti-
confer some protection from complications and cally significant, were suggestive of lower survival
failures. rate for immediately loaded implants when com-
pared with the conventional loaded ones. No sig-
nificant difference for prosthesis success, implant
5.2 Loading Protocols success, and MBL were observed. Also, there was
a trend suggestive of higher failures for the early
Immediate or early provisionalization and load- loading when compared with the immediate load-
ing of dental implants are aimed at reducing the ing. This was explained by the fact that early
period of time in which the patient remains with- loaded implants may impair the healing process of
out tooth replacement. In other words, the aim of bone around the implant just in the period when
accelerated prostheses delivery is to reduce the primary stability drops, and secondary stability is
discomfort of the patient attaining immediate not fully established yet. The analysis attempted to
function and esthetics (Fig. 5.4). It is clear that investigate if occlusal versus non-occlusal loading
a b c
d e f
Fig. 5.3 (af) Implant positioning on a previously infected site (tooth #14). At baseline (a), after 3 months (b), at 1 year
(c), at 3 years (d), and at 5 years after placement (e, f) (Reproduced with permission from Jung and coll.)
5 Implant Placement and Loading Time 91
a b
c d
e f
g h
Fig. 5.4 (aj) OPT showing the necessity of extraction (a), intraoral examination (bd), extraction and immediate implant
placement (e), appearance of implants and delivery of prosthesis the day after surgery (f), control at 1 year (ij)
92 O. Iocca and S. Pardias Lpez
i j
yields different outcomes, but just one RCT was immediate and conventional loaded implants. On
found studying this hypothesis, and the sample the contrary compared to other reviews, a statisti-
size was too small to reach any conclusion. cally significant higher risk of implant failure
At the end, the success rates were considered was found for immediate loading. These results
to be high for all the treatment options in the can be explained by the fact that the analysis
majority of the published trials; therefore, it was included studies comparing immediate versus
concluded that it is possible to plan an immediate conventional loading, excluding the early loading
or early loading protocol with confidence. At the protocols.
same time, the patients need to be informed about Also, immediate loading of single teeth
the slightly higher risk of failure for implants implants seemed to have higher risk of failure
loaded early or immediately if compared to con- compared to multiple restorations. These results
ventionally loaded ones. can be explained again by the splinting effect that
Another meta-analysis examining RCT and occurs with extended restorations.
expanding the inclusion to non-randomized trials The authors also tried to answer the question
[17] showed that the vast majority of implant fail- if immediate occlusal vs. non-occlusal loading
ures of immediately loaded implants occurred gave different outcomes, but no definitive con-
within the first 3 months after loading. A likely clusions were considered feasible. Regardless of
explanation for this is that failures occurring after this it seems reasonable to create a condition of
12 months of loading are probably caused by fac- under-occlusion for a single crown implant in
tors other than loading protocols. The meta- order to avoid excessive stress on it.
analysis also showed no statistically significant When the focus is shifted exclusively on
difference in survival between maxillary and single-implant crowns, it seems clear that better
mandibular implants even if the significant het- results in terms of survival are achieved with con-
erogeneity of the included studies suggest caution ventional loading. In fact, a thorough review of
in drawing definitive conclusions on this matter. randomized and non-randomized studies arrived
It was concluded that there is insufficient doc- at the conclusion that a statistically significant dif-
umentation and very limited scientific evidence ference was found between immediate and con-
supports the adoption of immediate loading pro- ventional loading in favor of this last one [19].
tocols. Therefore, careful patient selection was One point that merits a discussion is whether
recommended in case of immediate loading, in any difference exists between immediately loaded
particular evaluation of good bone quality and implants in fresh extraction sockets or healed
good primary stability, parafunctions, and smok- ridges. The meta-analysis by Del Fabbro and coll.
ing habits. [20] showed that immediate placement/immedi-
The systematic review by Sanz-Sanchez and ate loading was subject to higher risk of failure
coll. [18] evidenced high success rates for both compared to immediate loading in healed ridges.
5 Implant Placement and Loading Time 93
This was consistent with the fact that implants delivery. At long term, the different loading pro-
placed in a fresh extraction socket are exposed to tocols seem to give the same esthetic results
higher risk of complications and failure. between each other.
In summary, a low number of well-designed
RCTs and small prospective studies are one of
the major drawbacks that emerge from the vari- 5.2.2 Loading Protocols
ous systematic reviews. Also, most studies have for Implant-Supported
short follow-up, the majority less than 1 year. Overdentures
Anyway this last point is not a big issue when
immediate or early placement is considered, Treatment modalities for fully edentulous jaws
given that the majority of implant losses usually traditionally have included conventional remov-
occur in the first year after loading; after this able dentures; they are reliable methods for resto-
period of time, complications are probably inde- ration of function for many patients, especially in
pendent from the loading time. the elderly. On the other hand, removable pros-
It is possible to state that with careful patient theses are associated with psychological and
selection, immediate/early loading is a treatment functional limitations.
protocol that gives high rates of success compara- The use of osseointegrated implants can
ble, even if slightly lower, to conventional loading. improve the outcomes of removable dentures and
Again, given the clear advantage in terms of at the same time maintains their cost-effective
patients comfort and function, it is the responsi- benefits. Implant-supported overdentures (OVD)
bility of the clinician to decide when accelerated possess a great increase in stability and high
loading protocols are appropriate and advanta- degree of patient satisfaction [23].
geous. Without any doubt, proper communica- Mandibular retained OVD showed high suc-
tion with the patient is of paramount importance cess rates and cost-effectiveness. Immediate
when discussing the opportunity of tooth extrac- loading of implant-supported OVD gives the
tion, immediate implant placement, loading time, advantage of conferring to the patient an immedi-
and the type of restoration. ate stabilization and a quick restoration of func-
tion. One of the aspects to consider when planning
an OVD placement regards the soft tissues; these
5.2.1 Esthetic Outcomes are traumatized the day of surgery and tend to
of Accelerated Loading change morphology during the following weeks.
Protocols Therefore, relining and adjustments are fre-
quently necessary before achievement of optimal
In the same fashion as for immediate placement results. This can be a cause of additional costs
protocols, in order to evaluate the esthetic results and multiple visits [24].
of the different loading protocols, it is better to Early loading can therefore be considered a
rely on quantification of marginal bone level good compromise because it eliminates the neces-
change and soft tissue status instead of the poorly sity of large readjustments after delivery of the
reported esthetic indexes. prosthesis given that soft tissues are allowed to
The majority of the available reviews point out heal after surgery and before prostheses delivery.
that there is no statistically significant difference Schimmel and coll. [25] conducted a meta-
in terms of MBL and mucosal level changes of analysis of RCT comparing immediate, early, and
implants between immediate and conventional conventional loading of two-implant OVD. The
loading [21]. For this reason, it is possible to con- analysis was suggestive of a superior implant sur-
sider a theoretical advantage for immediately vival at 1 year of follow-up for early and conven-
placed implants, but this refers just to the fact that tional loading in respect to immediate protocols,
the patient receives a restoration without the need but the results were not statistically significant.
of waiting long healing time before the final Also, the majority of the studies focused on man-
94 O. Iocca and S. Pardias Lpez
dibular OVD and clear statements on maxillary ment of a primary stability of at least 30 N/cm,
solutions were not considered possible. and creation of a balanced occlusion are all fac-
The conclusion was that the three loading pro- tors that allow to obtain optimal results [27].
tocols applied to mandibular OVD seems to give The problems associated with conventional
good clinical results, but a slight tendency toward removable dentures, such as instability, improper
higher implant failures for the immediately occlusion, and pressure ulcers, cannot be over-
loaded OVD was noted. come due to excessive resorption of the alveolar
A particular issue discussed in the review was crest.
the use of splinted or unsplinted implants for Implant-retained OVD have resolved such
immediate loading. In theory, considered that issues in the majority of the cases. At the current
micromovements may impair the process of state, maxillary rehabilitation with immediately
osseointegration, a splinting bar should increase loaded OVD is questionable due to lack of longi-
the success rates of immediately loaded OVD. In tudinal studies.
reality, the studies included in the review allow to We need to consider that OVD treatment in the
draw interesting conclusions. In particular, man- vast majority of the cases is performed in the
dibular unsplinted implants gave a mean survival elderly population where there is an increased
rate at 1 year in the range of 96.6100 %, which incidence of systemic diseases, fragility, and
was similar to the splinted group (96100 %). reduced compliance. Also, it must be taken into
The same observation was done for the maxillary account that the geriatric patient is predisposed to
OVD, with a mean survival range of 9798.1 % undernutrition, and therefore a rapid regain of a
for the splinted group and 9899 % for the proper masticatory function is of paramount
unsplinted group. importance.
The conclusion that can be drawn is that In particular, the adoption of shortened treat-
splinting does not give an advantage compared to ment protocols may help the patient to acquire
unsplinted implants when immediate loading immediately a better retention and stability of the
protocols are adopted. prosthesis, in this way avoiding the risk of acquir-
Alsabeeha and coll. [26] analyzed both RCTs ing a poor nutritional status.
and non-randomized studies with a minimum of In conclusion, if a tendency exists toward
2 years of follow-up. Both early and immediate slightly higher failure rates of immediate/early
treatment protocols were considered to have sim- OVD in comparison to conventional loading pro-
ilar success rates when compared to conventional tocols, this is balanced by substantial benefits in
loading OVD. Other reviews show similar results. terms of rapid return to a normal social life,
It is thus possible to state that immediate/early proper chewing capacity, absence of pain, and
protocols for mandibular OVD are a predictable discomfort. This might be important especially in
treatment modality when careful patient selection old age when the majority of OVD are placed
is performed. Good periodontal health, achieve- (Table 5.4).
Table 5.4 Meta-analysis evaluating the survival of implants used as support to OVD
Immediate loading
versus conventional
Effect loading Statistically
Included studies size Results (95 % CI) Clinical meaning significant
Schimmel and coll. [25] RCT RR 0.03 (0.03 In favor of No
1-year follow-up after to 0.08) conventional loading
loading
Schrott and coll. [27] RCT, non- RR 0.67 (0.0.0716.25) In favor of No
1-year follow-up after randomized trials immediate loading
loading
RR relative risk
5 Implant Placement and Loading Time 95
28. S.T. Chen, F.D. Buser, P.M. Dent, Esthetic outcomes ing immediate implant placement into extraction
following immediate and early implant placement in socket: systematic review and meta-analysis. J. Clin.
the anterior maxilla a systematic review. Int. Periodontol. 41(9), 914926 (2014)
J. Oral Maxillofac. Implants 29, 186215 (2014) 35. S. Ma, A. Tawse-Smith, W.M. Thomson,
29. S.T. Chen, T.G. Wilson, C.H.F. Hmmerle, Immediate A.G.T. Payne, Marginal bone loss with mandibular
or early placement of implants following tooth extrac- two-implant overdentures using different loading pro-
tion: review of biologic basis, clinical procedures, and tocols and attachment systems: 10-year outcomes. Int.
outcomes. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Implants 19(Suppl), J. Prosthodont. 23, 321332 (2010)
1225 (2004) 36. V. Moraschini, E. Porto Barboza, Immediate versus
30. L. Den Hartog, J.J.R. Huddleston Slater, A. Vissink, conventional loaded single implants in the posterior
H.J.A. Meijer, G.M. Raghoebar, Treatment outcome mandible: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled
of immediate, early and conventional single-tooth trials. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 45(1), 8592
implants in the aesthetic zone: a systematic review to (2016)
survival, bone level, soft-tissue, aesthetics and patient 37. J. Ortega-Martnez, T. Prez-Pascual, S. Mareque-Bueno,
satisfaction. J. Clin. Periodontol. 35, 10731086 F. Hernndez-Alfaro, E. Ferrs-Padr, Immediate
(2008) implants following tooth extraction. A systematic review.
31. M. Esposito, M.G. Grusovin, M. Willings, Med. Oral Patol. Oral Cir. Bucal 17, 251261 (2012)
P. Coulthard, H.V. Worthington, The effectiveness of 38. P. Papaspyridakos, C.-J. Chen, S.-K. Chuang,
immediate, early, and conventional loading of dental H.-P. Weber, Implant loading protocols for edentulous
implants: a Cochrane systematic review of random- patients with fixed prostheses: a systematic review
ized controlled clinical trials. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. and meta-analysis. Int. J. Oral Maxillofac. Implants
Implants 22, 893904 (2007) 29(Suppl), 256270 (2014)
32. Y. Kawai, J.A. Taylor, Effect of loading time on the 39. L. Schropp, F. Isidor, Timing of implant placement
success of complete mandibular titanium implant relative to tooth extraction. J. Oral Rehabil. 35, 3343
retained overdentures: a systematic review. Clin. Oral (2008)
Implants Res. 18, 399408 (2007) 40. T.C. Truninger et al., A prospective, controlled clini-
33. N.P. Lang, L. Pun, K.Y. Lau, K.Y. Li, M.C. Wong, A cal trial evaluating the clinical and radiological out-
systematic review on survival and success rates of come after 3 years of immediately placed implants in
implants placed immediately into fresh extraction sockets exhibiting periapical pathology. Clin. Oral
sockets after at least 1 year. Clin. Oral Implants Res. Implants Res. 22, 2027 (2011)
23, 3966 (2012) 41. L. Xu et al., Immediate versus early loading of flap-
34. C.T. Lee, T.S. Chiu, S.K. Chuang, D. Tarnow, less placed dental implants: a systematic review.
J. Stoupel, Alterations of the bone dimension follow- J. Prosthet. Dent. 112, 760769 (2014). 1
Implant Design and Implant
Length
6
Nicholas Quong Sing
Abstract
Implant Design is a fundamental aspect of successful implant treatment.
Its evolution has led to the development of 1000s of implant types manu-
factured by an ever increasing number of companies in both industrialized
and developing countries. Implant body shapes can generally be classified
into threaded,tapered or stepped designs and further subdivided into sur-
face chemistry and material composition.
Improvements in implant design and its composition has prompted a
rethink of selection criteria for different clinical scenarios, an example
being the use of short implants to avoid the need of advanced bone grafting
techniques.
Objective analysis if data from the used of short and varying implant
diameter need to be carried out to allow a fair comparison of this trend and
how it compared to the long term predictability that has been achieved
with traditional implant lengths.
6.1 Implant Design: General prosthetic loading times, and patient comorbidi-
Review ties. Implant design has continually evolved over
the years, as well as the surgical protocols required
Implant design has always been a fundamental for their placement, with many of the axioms that
feature that has facilitated the successful long- influenced their selection being challenged.
term osseointegration of these endosseous restor- The evolution of implant design has lead to
ative platforms. This fact has been further over 1300 dental implant types [1] and more than
emphasized by how changes in implant macro- 250 implant manufacturers worldwide. This vast
and micro-design has improved implant survival selection of implants can be intimidating when
rates when placed across varying bone types, choosing an implant (Fig. 6.1), as there have been
no well-documented studies that show the superi-
ority of one implant system over another [2] and
most studies focusing on one implant system and
N. Quong Sing, BDS, MFD, FFD OSOM, cert OSOM
Carenage, Trinidad and Tobago its success. A review by Esposito et al. shows no
e-mail: nick_quong@hotmail.com evidence to suggest that one implant system led
Fig. 6.1 Common implant designs and surface characteristics according to the manufacturer (Reproduced with permis-
sion from Barfeie and coll.)
6 Implant Design and Implant Length 99
to fewer implant failures or less bone loss than 6.1.1 Implant Body Shape
another [3]. What is definitive is that implants in
general, as a restorative therapy, are a reliable Endosseous implant body shapes can generally be
treatment option for the replacement of single or classified as threaded, stepped, or tapered.
multiple missing teeth [4, 5]. Threaded implants (Fig. 6.2) were introduced into
Dental implants are unique when compared to implant design to improve the initial stability via
other implantable devices in the human body, as mechanical friction with the surrounding bone
its design has to take into account that it is addi- [10], and it also served the purpose of increasing
tionally connected to a prosthesis which is bone-to-implant contact area [11]. The stepped
exposed to the oral cavity and therefore subject to implant however was designed to mimic the natu-
two environments. This prosthetic interface on the ral root form, creating what was hoped to be a
implant body, where the implant abutment con- favorable load distribution, while tapered implants
nects, can either be external or internal in nature. were created specifically in an attempt to reduce
There are however exceptions, with some implants repetitive micro-strains at the crestal margins [8].
having a solid connection to the abutment (one These micro-strains are thought to be the main
piece). The most common external and internal cause of crestal bone loss, as first documented by
connections are hexagonal or octagonal in shape, Branemark et al. in 1977. This reduction in micro-
but can be an external spline or internal Morse strains is achieved in tapered implants by direct-
taper. Studies by Bernardes SR et al. have shown ing the stresses during function away from the
that there is no statistical difference in stress con- dense cortical bone and toward the resilient tra-
centration levels, in the peri-implant region, becular bone. An extensive review by Esposito
between internal and external connections when et al. [12], evaluating 13 different implant shapes
centralized axial loads (directed through the over seven trials, showed no significant differ-
implant center) are applied to implants. Off-center ences for implant failures after 1 year between the
loads however showed the lowest stress concen- tested implant designs. This again enforces the
trations in internal hex connections, intermediate point that there is no one implant design that is
stresses in internal tapered connections, and the superior. The difference between implant designs
highest stresses in external hex and one piece con- are more pronounced in type IV bone due to low
nections [6]. External connection platforms were density and reduced primary stability. Design
used among the first Branemark implants; how- does not however seem to play a significant role in
ever, there has been a gradual shift to internal con- type I and type II dense bone.
nections due to their advantages offered, such as Thread designs come in a variety of configura-
less screw loosening, improved aesthetics, tions due to differences in pitch, number of thread
improved reliability with narrower abutment helixes, thread angulation, thread depth, and
diameter [7], and reduced bacterial leakage in thread shape. Thread shape can be square, v
internal Morse tapered connections [8] shaped, buttress, reverse buttress, and spiral.
Implant design can be classified broadly into Most implants have threads incorporated into
macro- and microstructural features. Macro-design their design as it reduces shear loads and increases
features include body shape, threads, anti-rotational functional surface area [13]. Shear loads have
features, and thread design (pitch, depth, angle, been shown to be the most detrimental force that
thickness, thread helix), while micro-design fea- affects bone strength, while compressive forces
tures comprise surface topography, material com- are the most favorable [14]. In square and but-
position, and bioactive coatings. Most evolution in tress threads, axial forces are transmitted to the
implant design is centered on the modifications of bone mainly via compressive forces, while in
these features to achieve: high levels of primary v-shaped and reverse buttress, load forces are
stability, faster and better quality osseointegration, transmitted to the bone by a combination of
reduced peri-implant bone loss, and improved shear, tensile, and compressive forces [9]
stress distribution during functional loading. (Fig. 6.3). There are currently no well-controlled
100 N. Quong Sing
Fig. 6.2 Schematization of the thread designs (Reproduced with permission from Abuhussein and coll. [9])
prospective clinical studies that compare the dif- able for load transmission. Studies by Kong et al.
ferent thread shapes, but finite element analysis considered 0.8 mm as the optimal thread pitch in
of square thread profiles shows that it has an opti- cylindrical v-shaped implants [18]; however, this
mized surface area for intrusive forces and still remains inconclusive and requires further
compressive load transmission, resulting in a vigorous and expansive clinical trials. What can
lower strain profile [15]. Animal studies by be certain is that as thread pitch decreases, bone-
Steigenga et al. have shown that these features of to-implant contact increases, leading to more
square threads have resulted in higher reverse favorable stress distribution.
torque when compared to v-shaped and reverse
buttress implants [16].
Thread pitch is the distance from the center of 6.1.2 Surface Topography
a thread to the center of the next thread, measured
along the major axis of the implant. Orsini E. Modifying the implant surface is one of the
et al. showed in their animal study that increased means that has been used to increase both pri-
primary stability and bone-to-implant contact mary stability and functional surface area of
was gained from decreasing thread pitch, espe- implants. It plays an especially important role in
cially in cancellous bone, where it can prove short implants as discussed later in this chapter.
critical to osseointegration [17]. Changing the Surface irregularities increase the metal sheer
thread pitch alters the thread depth, the area strength and decreases implant loosening, which
within the thread region, and the functional avail- facilitates better mechanical interlocking between
6 Implant Design and Implant Length 101
Direction of forces
Compression
Tension
Shear
Fig. 6.3 Relationship between thread design, forces, and shear stress on bone (Reproduced with permission from
Abuhussein and coll. [9])
bone and implant surfaces. This has resulted in by peri-implantitis when compared to rough sur-
better primary stability and faster osseointegra- faces at 3 year follow-up; however, 5- and 10-year
tion clinically [19]. Modification of surface data showed no difference.
topography can be carried out by an addition or
subtractory process. Addition processes, which
create convex surfaces, involve plasma deposi- 6.1.3 Implant Materials
tion using hydroxyapatite or titanium particles, to
give a uniform pattern. These coating layers are Currently the vast majority of implants are made
only functional if they adhere firmly to the with commercial pure titanium or its alloys, with
implant surface. Subtractory processes however a small percentage being hydroxyapatite-coated
involve the use of sand blasting, shot peening, titanium, zirconia, or zirconia alloy. Titanium
laser peening, acid etching, or a combination of and its alloys have a proven track record as the
these to create concave surfaces. A systematic material of choice for implant fabrication, given
review carried out by Wennerberg A. et al. noted its biocompatibility and mechanical properties.
that moderately rough surfaces (S (a) 12 The successful use of zirconia in the orthopedic
microm) showed stronger bone responses than field has seen it become a potential alternative
the smooth (S (a) <0.5 microm) or rough (S (a) material for dental implants, overcoming poten-
>2 microm) in some studies. These roughened tial aesthetic and immunological complications
surfaces stimulate the bone healing process as of titanium use. Zirconia is an attractive material
noted by Soskolne et al.; however, there is cur- for implant fabrication given its toothlike color,
rently no consensus among the literature on what low plaque affinity, good biocompatibility, high
degree of roughness would be ideal for the osseo- mechanical resistance, and its ability to be
integration process. Roughened implants con- machined. Animal studies have shown that
versely facilitate bacterial adhesion to its surfaces roughened zirconia implants have comparable
[20], which can facilitate peri-implantitis and a bone-to-implant contact and osseointegration,
decrease in the long-term implant survival rate. with similarly shaped and roughened titanium
Esposito et al.s meta-analysis of different implants [21, 22]. This was reflected clinically in
implant types showed a 20 % reduction in risk of similar removal torque values [23]. A 5-year
turned (smooth) surface implants being affected review in humans by Oliva J. et al., of three
102 N. Quong Sing
different roughened zirconia implant surfaces, phic bone, where patients are reluctant for
showed an overall success rate of 95 %, with the advanced augmentation treatments and its associ-
highest success rate shown in zirconia implants ated prolonged treatment times, cost, and mor-
that were acid etched. These results hold great bidity. Longer implants have been indicated for
promise for the future use of zirconia implants, immediate extraction sites, where primary stabil-
but should be taken with caution as it is a medium- ity is required for successful osseointegration, or
term review. Titanium and its alloys still are the to engage the zygomatic bone in severely
material of choice for implant fabrication, having resorbed maxillary alveolar ridges. Short
a greater body of evidence proving their long- implants and their selection are discussed later in
term efficacy. this chapter, as advances in implant design have
shown them to have comparable survival rates to
implants of standard length. This therefore raises
6.1.4 Implant Surface Chemistry the question of whether is it is really necessary to
place the longest implant that can be accommo-
Implant surfaces can be modified with chemical dated, which has been the conventional wisdom.
coatings that aim to induce specific cell and tis- Results of a review conducted by Chung DM
sue responses which help improve bone-to- et al. concluded that implant length was the most
implant contact and increase the rate of important factor in maintaining implants over the
osseointegration. There are many experimental long term [27]. The diameter of an implant, how-
coatings such as strontium ions incorporated into ever, still remains more important in achieving
titanium surface which promote the stimulation primary stability [28] and reducing crestal strain
of osteogenesis and an inhibition of osteoclasto- than implant length [29].
genesis [24] or the use of hydroxyapatite and bio-
active glass coatings for their osteoconductive
properties [25]. Surface chemistry can also be 6.2.2 Comparison of Short Implants
used to increase the hydrophilicity of implant Versus Bone Reconstruction
surfaces, which modulates the biological cascade Techniques
of events at the bone-to-implant interface, pro-
moting faster osseointegration [26]. Modification Implant-supported prostheses have been shown
of surface chemistry as a part of implant design is to be a reliable and predictable restorative option
one of the many factors that can increase the for single and multiple missing teeth; however,
speed and quality of osseointegration, but its ben- several challenges are faced in their placement.
efit is mainly seen in type IV bone types where One factor is the lack of sufficient vertical alveo-
bone quality is poor and additional mechanisms lar dimension, especially in the posterior maxilla
are required to enhance integration. and mandibular regions. This can be attributed to
the sinus pneumatization phenomenon after
extraction [30] and resorption of the alveolar
6.2 Implants of Different ridge due to prolonged periods of edentulism or
Lengths periodontal disease.
Placement of what is considered standard
6.2.1 Clinical Outcomes length implants in these situations would com-
promise the maxillary antrum or inferior alveolar
Implants are currently manufactured in a wide canal (Fig. 6.4). Therefore, advanced surgical
range of lengths, from short 4 mm alveolar techniques, such as block grafting, guided bone
implants to 53 mm zygomatic implants. Implant regeneration, distraction osteogenesis, sinus floor
length selection is dependent on a patients exist- elevation, placement of angulated implants, or
ing vertical alveolar dimensions. Implants of nerve repositioning, were developed to overcome
short length may be chosen for regions of atro- these anatomical limitations. These procedures
6 Implant Design and Implant Length 103
do however come with their disadvantages, short implant. This can prove to be a bit problem-
namely, increased treatment time, cost, post- atic, as there is no consensus in the literature for
surgical morbidity, complications, and being what length an implant has to be before it is
technique sensitive [31]. Lee SA et al. encountered termed short. All of the review literature agree
complication rates of 7.6 % in short implant and that implants 10 mm in length are considered
15.3 % in standard implants placed in augmented standard, with most indicating that implants less
sites [32]. Postsurgical complications can range than 10 mm can be classified as short, with a
from severe postoperative pain, swelling, neuro- smaller subset granting that classification to
sensory disturbances, and graft resorption, all of implants 8 mm. One review even further classi-
which serve to decrease patient acceptability for fied implants 6 mm as ultrashort [37], with the
bone augmentation procedures [22, 33] (Fig. 6.5). shortest commercially available implants being
Bone augmentation for implants can be car- 4 mm.
ried out using autogenous bone, bone substitute Earlier studies, some of which had long-term
materials, or a combination of both, none of follow-ups of more than 3 years, had shown that
which has shown to have any statistically differ- short machined (smooth) surfaced implants suf-
ence when it comes to implant survival [35]; fered from increased rates of failures when com-
however, on the basis of total bone volume gener- pared to machined surfaced implants 10 mm in
ated after grafting, autogenous bone is still con- length [3840]. This decreased rate of survival
sidered the gold standard for augmentation was presumed to be because of several factors
procedures [36] such as less bone-to-implant contact with short
Short implants have been heralded as an implants; short implants which were mostly
option to avoid the need for bone augmentation, placed in the posterior zone where the quality of
yet their placement contradicts what has been tra- the bone was relatively poor, especially in the
ditional implant protocol, which promoted choos- maxilla [41]; and an unfavorable higher crown-
ing the widest and longest implant feasible to to-implant ratio which was created due to the out-
insure long-term implant survivability. sized crowns needed to reach occlusion in
When discussing the topic of short implants, extensively resorbed ridges [42]
we firstly have to define what can be considered a This evidence of higher failures in short
machined implants would naturally bias most cli-
nicians to augment bone in order to achieve
enough vertical dimension for the placement of
standard length implants and hence allow longer
survivability of prostheses. If short implants were
placed, it was suggested in some reviews that
short implants be splinted to longer ones to rein-
force their support [43] or to place wider diame-
ter implants to increase the bone-to-implant
surface area [44, 45].
More recent systematic reviews of short
implants however have challenged the idea of
increased implant failure when compared to lon-
ger implants. Short implants are now regarded as
a safe and predictable treatment options with
reduced failure rates, biological/prosthetic com-
plications, and minimal bone loss [46]. This is
due to the increased use of modified implant sur-
Fig. 6.4 Short implants may be useful in case of man- faces. Multiple systematic reviews, especially
dibular atrophy within the last decade, have concluded that there
104 N. Quong Sing
is no statistical difference between the survival of et al. has shown a mean survival rate for short
short rough surfaced implants in native bone and implants in the mandible and maxilla as being
standard rough surface implants in augmented 94.9 and 92.7 %, respectively. This is attributed
bone [47]. Roughened implant surfaces as men- to the increased bone density of the mandible
tioned above increase the mechanical interlock- which imparts improved mechanical properties
ing at the bone-to-implant interface as well as of the bone-to-implant interface, reduced stress
provide increased functional surface area for concentration, and increased primary stability, all
transmission of compressive and shearing loads of which compensates for reduction in implant
to the bone. All of which has resulted in clinically length. A systematic review carried out by
significant higher removal torque values [48] and Goiato. MC et al. showed how the survival rates
increased implant survival rates in different bone of all implants in general varied according to
types, especially type IV [19]. bone type as follows: type I, 97.6 %; type II,
Successful osseointegration and its continued 96.2 %; type III, 96.5 %; and type IV, 88.8 %.
preservation for short implants depend on bio- When implants were further classified according
logical and prosthetic factors such as bone den- to surface roughness, the survival rate of treated
sity, smoking habits, implant surface, surface implants inserted in low-density bone
crown-to-implant ratio, splinting, size of occlusal was higher (97.1 %) than that of machined sur-
table, cantilever length, type of implant system, face implants (91.6 %) [19].
and opposing dentition [37]. In a systematic
review carried out by Telleman G. et al. [42], 6.2.3.2 Smoking Habits
sources of heterogeneity were explored to see Smoking habits as it relates to short implants
whether there was any variation between some of were analyzed by Telleman et al., with the esti-
the subgroups listed above. mated failure rates in studies where smokers
were strictly excluded being twice as low, when
compared to those studies where heavy smokers
6.2.3 Heterogeneous Factors (15 cigarettes/day) were included. Strietzel FP
and Their Effect on Short et al. concluded that short implants should be
Implants considered cautiously in smokers, after similar
findings of a significant association between
6.2.3.1 Bone Density heavy smoking (>10 cigarettes/day) and the
Multiple reviews have shown that short implants frequency of implant loss. The association of
placed in the mandible had lower failure rates smoking and increase implant failure was
than those placed in the maxilla, which was also reviewed by Bain C. et al. over two decades ago,
consistent with implants of standard length [40, in which their study of Branemark implants over
42]. A meta-analysis conducted by Monje A. a period of 6 years revealed increasing tobacco
6 Implant Design and Implant Length 105
use correlating to an increased implant failure Pivodova V. et al. have shown that physical
rate [49]. A review by Deluca S. et al. showed surface treatments (such as surface roughness)
that patients who were smokers at the time of play a more important role than chemical modifi-
implant surgery had a significantly higher cations, although chemical modifications to
implant failure rate (23.08 %) than nonsmokers implant surfaces can increase implant surface
(13.33 %) and multivariate survival analysis wettability and hence cell attachment [54].
showed early implant failure to be significantly
associated with smoking at the time of stage 1 6.2.3.5 Implant Diameter
surgery and late implant failure to be signifi- Three-dimensional finite element analysis demon-
cantly associated with a positive smoking his- strated that increasing implant diameter resulted in
tory [50]. a 3.5-fold reduction in crestal strain compared to a
1.65-fold reduction in crestal strain when implant
6.2.3.3 Crown-to-Implant Ratio, length was increased [29]. Increasing implant
Splinting, and Occlusal Table diameter therefore decreases the risk of peri-
Short implants in resorbed areas usually have implant overloading and allows for better stress
unfavorable crown-to-implant ratios, as a result distribution. Increasing implant diameter also
of the tall crowns needed to attain occlusion with allows better engagement of the buccal and lingual
the opposing dentition. This increased crown-to- cortical plates which promotes increased primary
implant ratio would be problematic in natural stability and hence osseointegration. All of these
teeth, and it was therefore suggested that short positive benefits holds true for standard length
implants be splinted to better distribute occlusal implants and confirmed by the meta-analysis
forces [43]. results of Ortega-Oller I. et al. [55], who concluded
Tawil G. et al. showed this precaution to be that implants (<3.3 mm) had significantly lower
questionable in their review of how prosthetic rates than wider implants (3.3 mm). Yet for short
factors influenced the survival and complication implants, this does not appear to be the case as
rates of short machined surfaced implants. It was stated by Monje A. et al., who found that neither
concluded that increased crown-to-implant ratios implant length nor width seemed to significantly
and occlusal table values did not seem to be a affect the survival rates of short implants. The
major biomechanical risk factor, provided that results of that meta-analysis were contradictory to
force orientation and load distribution were studies of standard length implants, as failure rates
favorable and parafunction was controlled [51]. of short implants increased with wider diameters.
There was an increase in complication rates for
short implants in bruxers of 15 %, but the value Conclusion
was found not to be statistically significant by Many reviews on the topic of short implants
Tawil G. et al. lacked large sample populations monitored over
long periods of time and were retrospective stud-
6.2.3.4 Implant Surface Treatments ies or prospective studies not based on random-
Implant surface roughness is thought to be the ized clinical trials. This lack of robust long-term
main feature which allows short implants to over- trials was mentioned by Lee SA et al. in their data
come handicaps of length and poor crown-to- search [32], leaving them with only four random-
implant ratios in atrophic poor quality bone. The ized control trials which satisfied the criteria for
roughened surfaces have been shown to increase their meta-analysis.
the osteogenic response, as observed in studies Although many conclusions of articles on
by Soskolne et al., who noted increased mono- short implants recommended more evidence
cyte proliferation and adherence to rough tita- was required, the most important findings regard-
nium surfaces [52]. Laboratory trials by Conserva ing short implant survivability and the factors
et al. displayed similar results when SaOS-2 that affect them are similar, that is that short
osteoblast-like cells were used [53]. rough surface implants is an effective treatment
106 N. Quong Sing
alternative for the replacement of missing teeth in e228 (2012). doi:10.1016/j.dental.2012.05.004. Epub
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8. C. do Nascimento, P.K. Miani, V. Pedrazzi,
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Conclusions evaluation of three different implant connections
under unloaded and loaded conditions. Int. J. Oral
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gration. Clin. Oral Implants Res. 21, 129136 (2010)
quality osseointegration of implants, espe-
10. P.A. Frandsen, H. Christoffersen, T. Madsen, Holding
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density, immediate implantation, and high in human cadaver hips. Acta Orthop. Scand. 55(3),
aesthetic demand. 349351 (1984)
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Platform Design
7
Giovanni Molina Rojas and David Montalvo Arias
Abstract
Implant platform is defined as the portion of the implant on which the
abutment rests. Platform-switching design uses an abutment that is smaller
in diameter than the outer edge of the implant neck. This particular design
has been found to be associated with reduced marginal bone loss. It
remains to be established if this favorable outcome occurs in all the clini-
cal situations and with which extent. Possible factors that seem to contrib-
ute to the preservation of marginal bone in platform-switched implants are
the shifting of the microbial leakage far from the bone or of the abutment-
platform micromotion. Other cofactors may also contribute. Scalloped
implant design is a new platform solution indicated in the esthetic zones,
but although promising, more clinical studies are needed to confirm its
validity.
biologic width composed of an epithelial and connection changed: originally intended only for
connective tissue compartments, with similar rotational torque transfer mechanism during the
heights. The main difference between the two surgical placement, it soon became an important
resides in the quality of the supra-alveolar con- prosthetic component with indexing and antirota-
nective tissue: while in teeth are present attach- tional purposes. The whole implant dentistry
ment collagen fibers that are connected to the evolved to a restoration-driven philosophy.
root cementum, in implants such fibers are orien- Secondly, new mechanical and esthetic failures
tated in a completely different manner and run emerged and needed to be addressed. The
parallel with the implant surface without any 0.7 mm-tall external-hexagon connection could
attachment to the metal body. not satisfy the esthetic requirements and with-
Which factors contribute to the stability of the stand the increased occlusal forces of single and
peri-implant tissues and in what extent is still a multiple fixed restorations, since it was not
controversial topic. Infection, loading forces, designed for such purposes. Thirdly, dental
neck configurations, and microgap are some of implants became accessible to the large dental
the elements that have been studied as possible community; therefore, there was the need to sim-
causes of early peri-implant bone loss. plify the clinical steps required to restore them.
Since the discovery of osseointegration in the And finally, several studies investigated the con-
1980s, a number of devices and designs have cept of biologic width around implants, the peri-
been developed to overcome the biological and implant bone loss patterns, and the connection
mechanical limitations of dental implants and to microleakage. This research led to the idea that a
meet the prosthetic requirements for stable, better seal and different connection configura-
esthetic restorations. The initial 0.7 mm-tall tions could prevent peri-implant bone loss and
external-hexagon connection was developed improve peri-implant tissue stability.
based on the two-stage submerged surgical proto- The initial changes were made to overcome
col introduced by Branemark. The platform the mechanical problems and involved the intro-
design was developed giving priority to surgical duction of different external-hexagon heights and
rather than prosthetic requirements: the concept configurations, together with different screw and
of biologic width was not yet completely under- abutment designs. The purpose of such changes
stood, and there were no esthetic needs since was to improve the connection strength, increase
implants were used only to restore edentulous the horizontal and rotational stability, and
arches. The purpose of the external hexagon was improve components precision. In the late 1980s,
to allow the engagement of the fixture mount dur- the internally hexed connection was introduced
ing the surgical placement of the implant. At the to convey the loading forces inside the implant
second-stage procedure, the purpose of the body, strengthen the connection, and reduce the
implant connection was merely to connect bacterial microleakage. Since then, every com-
the transmucosal attachments used to stabilize pany developed various designs of indexing fea-
the prosthesis. The external hexagon was not ture, connection width and length, internal
engaged since no antirotational features were tapering, locking and sealing mechanism, seating
required for the prosthesis. verification mechanism, abutment emergence
Following the introduction of the two-stage profile, materials, and surface characteristics.
protocol for edentulous arches developed by In the early 1990s, a fortuitous finding led to
Branemark, implant dentistry developed rapidly. the introduction of the concept of platform
Implants begun to be utilized for fixed partial switching. Wide-diameter implants were intro-
dentures and single tooth restorations, in esthetic duced and used without matching wide-diameter
areas and in conjunction with grafting proce- prosthetic components, resulting in an implant
dures. The broader use of implants and their abutment interface horizontally shifted inwardly
application to single restorations entailed several and away from the outer edge of the implant
consequences. First of all, the concept of implant platform. Radiographic evaluation after abut-
7 Platform Design 111
A systematic review and meta-analysis [4] articles also presented methodological issues
selected ten randomized controlled trials with and biases. Considering all the limitations, there
a minimum follow-up of 1 year and a total of is evidence to suggest that overall the platform-
933 analyzed implants. Six of the ten studies switching design is effective in preventing peri-
identified a statistical significant difference in implant marginal bone loss (Figs. 7.2, 7.3, and
marginal bone loss between platform-switched 7.4). Moreover, the increase of time and extent
and platform-matched implants, three studies of implantabutment mismatch seem to mag-
reported just a slight difference, and one study nify the beneficial effect of platform switching
did not test the results for statistical differ- in preserving crestal bone. However, the mar-
ences. The meta-analysis showed a mean dif- ginal bone preservation phenomenon of the
ference in marginal bone loss between the platform-switched design has still to be consid-
platform-switched and platform-matched ered a hypothesis since there is not enough reli-
groups of 0.55 mm. The study reported an able data to proof causality. The extent of
overall lower degree of marginal bone loss marginal bone preservation related to the
with the platform-switched implants compared amount of implantabutment mismatch is still
to the platform-matched implants, with a more not clear. It is also important to underline that
evident marginal bone preservation effect with all the studies reported no difference in survival
increasing the extent of implantabutment rates between the platform-switched and
mismatching. platform-matched implant groups (Tables 7.1
Another systematic review and meta-analysis and 7.2).
[5] included ten randomized controlled trials and
controlled clinical trials with a minimum follow-
up of 1 year. A total amount of 643 platform- 7.2.2 Why Platform Switching
switched implants and 546 platform-matched Seems to Preserve Marginal
implants was analyzed. Seven out of ten articles Bone?
reported a statistically significant reduction in
peri-implant bone loss around platform-switched It is still unknown why platform switching seems
implants compared to platform-matched to preserve marginal bone. Several hypotheses
implants, while three studies failed to show any have been formulated to explain this
statistical difference. The meta-analysis showed phenomenon.
a mean difference in marginal bone loss between The most accredited explanation relates the
the two groups of 0.37 mm. The article conclu- bone loss pattern to the presence of bacterial
sion was that platform switching is effective in microleakage [6]. Implant platforms are avail-
preventing crestal bone loss when compared to able in numerous designs, but they all have in
platform-matching. common the presence of an interface between
Systematic reviews and meta-analysis about the implant and the abutment called microgap
this topic present several limitations, and the (Fig. 7.5). The design of the implant platform,
obtained data need to be evaluated carefully. together with the size and location of the micro-
Confounding factors of the analyzed articles gap, seems to play an important role in the crestal
may have affected the results. Every selected bone remodeling and in the soft tissue architec-
article presented different implant systems, sur- ture. Peri-implant bone resorption only begins
face textures, connection types and prosthetic once the implant is uncovered and exposed to the
designs, timings of implant placement and load- oral environment. In vitro studies have shown
ing, presence or absence of grafting procedures, that bacteria colonize the microgap causing
implant locations and angulations, types of inflammation of the peri-implant tissue. Animal
opposing dentition, and patient-related local and human histological studies confirmed the
risk factors. Most of the articles used a small role of bacterial leakage from the microgap in
sample size and short follow-up period. Several the crestal bone resorption (Fig. 7.6). The
7 Platform Design 113
a b
Fig. 7.2 Radiographic appearance of a platform-switched implant (Reproduced with permission from Del Fabbro and coll.)
platform-switching design carries the microgap movements away from the implant shoulder
away from the implant shoulder, therefore shift- therefore reducing the stress on the peri-implant
ing the inflammatory cell infiltrate toward the crestal bone.
implant central axis and reducing bone The inward shifting of the implant
resorption. abutment connection appears to also change
Another possible factor seems to be the micro- the spatial distribution of the biological width:
motion of the abutment-platform interface. Such the medial repositioning of the soft tissue
interface is considered to be the area of maxi- attachment leads to the establishment of the
mum biomechanical stress and has been linked to biological width horizontally instead of verti-
peri-implant bone resorption [7]. The platform- cally. This results in less resorption of the
switching design would again keep these micro- crestal bone.
114 G. Molina Rojas and D.M. Arias
a b c
Fig. 7.3 (ac) Representative histological views (Masson- IS implant shoulder, aJE the apical extension of the long
Goldner stain) of crestal bone changes at matched implants junctional epithelium, CLB the most coronal level of bone in
in dogs (original magnification 40). (a) 7 days (buccal contact with the implant, BC the level of the alveolar bone
site), (b) 14 days (lingual site), and (c) 28 days (buccal site). crest (Reproduced with permission from Becker et al.)
a b c
Fig. 7.4 (ac) Representative histological views (Masson- (lingual site), and (c) 28 days (lingual site). Landmarks for
Goldner stain) of crestal bone changes at platform-switched histomorphometrical analysis: IS implant shoulder, aJE the
implants (original magnification 40). The circumferential apical extension of the long junctional epithelium, CLB the
horizontal mismatch of 0.5 mm was able to prevent the api- most coronal level of bone in contact with the implant, BC
cal downgrowth of the barrier epithelium over an observa- the level of the alveolar bone crest (Reproduced with per-
tion period of 28 days. (a) 7 days (buccal site), (b) 14 days mission from Becker et al.)
Table 7.1 Meta-analyses comparing marginal bone loss (MBL) of platform-switched vs. platform-matched implants
Platform-switched vs.
Effect platform-matched Statistically
size implants (95 % CI) significant Clinical meaning
Chrcanovic et al. RR 0.29 (0.38 to 0.19) + In favor of perio healthy
patients
Atieh et al. MD 0.37 (0.55 to 0.20) + In favor of platform switching
Annibali et al. MD 0.55 (0.86 to 0.24) In favor of platform switching
RR relative risk
7 Platform Design 115
a b
Fig. 7.5 (ab) The microgap of two different implant types is evident at SEM analysis. (Reproduced under CCC
permission from Lorenzoni and coll)
crown crown
bacterial bacterial
microleakage microleakage
abutment abutment
platform
switching matched
abutment-platform
Fig. 7.6 The presence of bacterial micro leakage from the connection is considered to be the main cause of the different
crestal bone resorption patterns between platform switching and platform matching implants
They indicated that implants receiving a final implant interface. The platform-switch approach
abutment at the time of implant placement exhib- may keep away the micromotion between the
ited minimal marginal bone loss and were similar implant and abutment from the bone.
to implants subjected to abutment disconnection This theory, supported by finite element anal-
and reconnection up to two times. yses, suggested that this design reduced the stress
In the study of Degidi et al. [10], the abutments at the boneimplant interface and in the crestal
were removed a total of four times, and compared region of cortical bone by shifting the stress to
to other group of patients using the one abutment cancellous bone during loading [1417].
at one time concept, reported that over a period of Hsu et al. [18] confirmed the hypothesis,
36 months no significant differences were observed reporting a 10 % decrease in all the prosthetic
between the two groups of patients with regard to loading forces transmitted to the boneimplant
vertical bone level changes. interface.
Vigolo et al. [11] reported the longest follow- Maeda et al. [19] noticed that this procedure
up period (5 years). He suggested that the great- shifts the stress concentration away from the
est amount of bone changes occurred between boneimplant interface, but these forces are then
surgery and crown/abutment placement, after increased in the abutment or in the abutment screw.
which the changes were minimal. All these findings are also supported by
Becker et al. [8] also concluded, and within the another study [20], in which a greater risk of
limitations of an animal study, that repeated manip- implant fracture with platform-switched implants
ulation of the abutments may be associated with than with conventional diameter-matched
dimensional changes of peri-implant soft and hard implants. High-strength abutments should be
tissues formed at both mismatched Ti and ZrO2 chosen to prevent fracture.
abutments. In both Ti and ZrO2 groups, a repeated
abutment dis-/re-connection at 4 and 6 weeks was 7.2.3.3 Laser Microtextured Collar
associated with an increased apical extension of the A different strategy proposed is to promote the
junctional epithelium and subsequently crestal attachment of bone and connective tissue to the
bone level changes after 8 weeks of healing. implant collar surface and, it is claimed, help to
As an opposite finding, another study [12] transfer stress from the implant to the crestal
with short-term data (4-month post-loading) bone [21, 22].
showed that repeated abutment changes do not Based on this strategy, the collar surface is
alter bone levels significantly. laser microtextured with 8- and 12-m grooves.
Alves et al. [13] concluded, within the limits Tissue culture studies have demonstrated cellular
of this animal study, that the connection/discon- attachment by osteoblasts and fibroblasts to laser-
nection of platform-switching abutments during microgrooved surfaces [23, 24]. In addition, it
prosthetic phase of implant treatment does not has been hypothesized that crestal bone levels
induce bone marginal absorption. Furthermore, adjacent to implants with microtextured collars
it may present a negative influence in the buccal may achieve more coronal attachment than
connective tissue attachment that becomes implants with machined collars.
shorter anyway preventing marginal hard tissue Botos et al. [25], based on a case control study
resorption, especially in thin biotypes. of 15 overdenture patients with immediately
As a practical implication, the clinician should loaded implant designed with laser-microtextured
carefully consider the detrimental impact of a and machined collars, determined that:
repeated abutment dis-/re-connection on soft and
hard tissues during the initial phase of peri- 1. The presence of a laser microtextured implant
implant wound healing (46 weeks). collar did not increase the plaque or sulcus
bleeding indices.
7.2.3.2 Micromovements 2. The probing depth and the crestal bone loss
Additional bone resorption seems to be corre- adjacent to the laser-microtextured collar
lated to micromovements at the abutment implants were statistically significantly lower
7 Platform Design 117
than those observed adjacent to the machined- that patients receiving wide platform-switched
collar implants. implants may experience less crestal bone loss
than that resulting from the use of regular plat-
A recent human clinical trial evaluated two form switching.
similar implant types differing only in the surface Atieh et al. [5] also reached similar results.
texture of the neck and showed no significant They observed that the degree of marginal bone
influence on marginal bone level changes [26]. resorption is inversely related to the extent of the
Linkevicius et al. [27] concluded that both implantabutment mismatch.
laser microtexturing of implant collar or platform- Radiographically, the influence on marginal
switched implantabutment connection did not bone remodeling of a mismatch of 0.25 up to
eliminate crestal bone loss, if at the time of 0.5 mm was demonstrated with several prospec-
implant placement vertical soft tissue thickness tive studies [3436].
was 2 mm. However, laser-microtextured As an opposite finding, another study [37]
implants may present less proximal bone loss failed to show significant differences in both hard
than platform-switching implants in the period and soft tissue dimensions when a mismatch of
before implant loading. 0.25 mm was applied between the implant shoul-
der and the abutment (platform switching).
7.2.3.4 Amount of Mismatch
It has been suggested that the inward positioning 7.2.3.5 Size of the Microgap
of the implantabutment interface allows the bio- Many authors have identified the presence of a
logic width to be established horizontally, since an microgap at the implantabutment interface,
additional horizontal surface area is created for resulting in bacterial colonization of implant sul-
soft tissue attachment. This meant that less vertical cus, the possible etiologic mechanism for crestal
bone resorption is required to compensate for the bone resorption.
biologic seal. Furthermore, this design might It is likely that there is a bacterial leakage
increase the distance between the inflammatory within the implant system, after its prosthetic
cell infiltrate at the microgap and the crestal bone, connection, with subsequent penetration of bac-
thereby minimizing the effect of inflammation on teria and their products within the microgap
marginal bone remodeling [28, 29]. between implant and abutment. This would cause
Moreover, it was observed that increasing the an inflammatory process close to the crestal bone,
distance between the implantabutment interface resulting in bone support loss [6, 3841].
and adjacent bone may increase the anti-bone- It was pointed out, however, that the resorp-
resorptive effect of the platform-switching tion resulting from biological processes after
concept. prosthetic restoration changes with the use of a
However, it has been speculated that the find- platform-switching model [42]. These findings
ings of reduced bone remodeling accompanying were related to a decreased microgap in the con-
a larger implantabutment difference may be due nection interface whenever using platform
to an increased implant diameter rather than to switch.
the platform [30], because a bigger mismatch is Berberi et al. [43] investigated in vitro the leak-
often caused by the use of a wider diameter [31]. age at implantabutment interface of implants
Canullo et al. [32] are also supporting these connected to original and compatible abutments.
findings, for whom the effect of platform switch The original components were showing signifi-
on marginal bone level seemed to be dose cantly better results than the compatible ones. It
dependent. He demonstrated that the greatest can be assumed that the source of the abutment
platformabutment mismatch resulted in the least used can also result in bone loss.
marginal bone loss.
Cocchetto et al. [33] evaluated the biologic 7.2.3.6 Connection Type
effect of using a wide platform-switching restor- The cone Morse taper internal connection,
ative protocol in human. The results indicated designed to be completely stable with absence of
118 G. Molina Rojas and D.M. Arias
micromovements between the parts during func- chemical, physical properties, and surface topog-
tion, seems to be able to resist more to the bacte- raphies or morphologies, depending on how they
ria penetration due to of their self-locking are prepared and handled [5052], and it is not
characteristics. clear whether, in general, one surface modifica-
A study confirmed the very low permeability tion is better than another [53]. The texture of the
to bacteria of the conical implantabutment con- implants surface may play a major role in mar-
nection and the high prevalence of bacterial pen- ginal bone resorption [54]. It has been shown, for
etration of screw-retained implantabutment example, that implants with a roughened surface
assemblies [44]. that extends closer to the abutment-platform
The aim was to evaluate with an in vitro study junction tend to have less alveolar bone loss [40].
the leakage observed in internal hexagon and
Morse taper implantabutment connections. The 7.2.3.9 Inward Inclined Platform
results of their in vitro study showed that bacte- Switch
rial contamination occurs in different types of In the literature, the platform-switching concept
implantabutment connections, even if with dif- has been performed with horizontal flat or outward-
ferent percentages. Furthermore, it must be inclined mismatching. However, a study [55] tested
pointed out that in the conical implantabutment the benefits of an inward oblique mismatching.
connection, the bacterial contamination occurred They evaluated the hard and soft tissue responses
quite lately during the course of the experiment around a new implant concept with an inward
(on the 22nd day), whereas the contamination inclined platform, which is believed to amplify the
was always earlier in the butt-joint connection platform-switching concept, and compared them to
implants. the tissue response around an external-hexagon
Jaworski et al. [45] compared external- implant restored according to the traditional pros-
hexagon and Morse taper implant systems. They thetic concept. In their study, it is described a better
concluded that both implant designs showed outcome of this type of design compared to the tra-
leakage, but the Morse taper connection provided ditional external-hexagon matching connection. A
a better bacterial seal than the external-hexagon comparison with a regular platform-switching
design of the implant system used in the study. implant was missing in the study.
of these configurations in the preservation of tion of the implant is required to allow for an
marginal bone level. Marginal bone loss in the appropriate and cleansable emergence profile.
implant neck area seems to occur regardless of all
the efforts to eliminate it. In conclusion, there is a
need to further understand the mechanisms by 7.4 Scalloped Implant Design
which the peri-implant bone remodels at the mar-
ginal level and how to preserve it before evaluat- The dental implant design at the platform level
ing the effectiveness of a specific implant neck has been modified throughout the past 25 years.
configuration. The most important variations introduced so far
have been the internal connection and the
platform-switching design. The original implant
7.3 What Are the Risks design with a flat implantabutment interface
and Benets of Platform was intended for edentulous patients, which pres-
Switching? ent a significantly different bone and soft tissue
morphology compared to the partially edentulous
The reported crestal bone preservation proper- patients. The bone contour of the edentulous
ties of the platform-switching design would be patients is described as flat, while the bone con-
useful in several clinical situations. Based on the tour of partially edentulous patients presents var-
assumption that the design reduces vertical and ious degrees of interproximal scallop. A scalloped
horizontal crestal bone loss compared to the tra- morphology is described as a bone crest which
ditional platform-matched design, implants can presents more tissue coronal to the bone inter-
be placed closer to natural teeth and to each proximally than facially (Fig. 7.7). An implant
other. Single implants can be placed in narrower with a classic flat collar design placed in a crest
mesiodistal spaces, for example, in the maxillary with a scalloped contour of bone and soft tissue
lateral incisor or the mandibular incisor posi- will not be able to fully maintain the alveolar
tions, without causing bone loss and apical bone crest. In such situations, the implant plat-
migration of the papillae. Similarly, narrow form is placed at the level of the lower facial
ridges can receive implants avoiding, in some alveolar bone crest, therefore causing interproxi-
cases, grafting procedures and buccal soft tissue mal bone loss and eventually the possible loss of
recession. These properties represent a major the interproximal papilla. In order to preserve the
advantage in the esthetic region, where papillae scalloped bone and soft tissue architecture and
preservation and facial recession are often very preserve the papilla level especially in the esthetic
challenging problematics. In the posterior region, in 2003 a new scalloped implant design
region, platform switching can be combined was introduced in the market [57].
with short implants, allowing greater bone Very few studies have been conducted so far
implant surface contact, essential for the about the clinical efficacy of the scalloped
mechanical stability of implants with reduced implant design, and with contradictory results.
surface area. However, the implant design must Most studies reported more crestal bone loss in
be carefully planned and tested by the manufac- the scalloped design than the flat design and
turer. The clinician has also to understand the therefore the failure of the scalloped implants in
different properties of the platform-switched maintaining the bone and soft tissue architecture
implants. The implantabutment mismatch [5862]. Only two studies reported a positive
causes a different emergence profile of the resto- outcome [63, 64]. All the available articles but
ration, with a thinner apical base. The appropri- one present a low evidence level due to con-
ate implant and abutment sizes have to be chosen founding factors, small sample size, short follow-
depending on the loading forces and final pros- up periods, and poor study design. A recent
thetic design. Often a slightly more apical posi- randomized clinical trial with 5-year follow-up
120 G. Molina Rojas and D.M. Arias
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Implant Abutments
8
Oreste Iocca
Abstract
Abutments are important for the success of the implant treatment.
Histologic studies show that the peri-implant mucosal barrier forms
around the abutment and acts as a protective seal between the oral cavity
and the underlying bone. Biocompatibility is fundamental in order to
ensure an appropriate formation of the mucosal seal. Given the increasing
esthetic requests, zirconia has emerged as an alternative to titanium abut-
ments. Both materials seem to give similar performances in terms of bio-
compatibility and incidence of complications.
The abutment screw is an important component that serves to secure
the abutment to the implant. The preload, depending by the torque, is the
initial load and elongation of the screw that is important for optimal hold-
ing of the components together. An optimal preload is a prerequisite for
preventing screw-related complications such as screw loosening and
stripping.
Regarding the types of connections, when internal versus external
typologies are compared, it seems that internal connection gives best
results in terms of lower rate of complications.
Finally, the use of angled implant abutments is necessary in some situ-
ations, which increases the stress around the peri-implant bone at the same
time does not seem to impair the clinical results.
the junctional epithelium which attaches to the cus, and after 2 months of healing, the percentage
tooth structures via hemidesmosomes. of leukocytes was similar in all three observed
At the implant-abutment interface, there is no abutments with a range of 5.26.8 %. After 5
formation of the same histologic structure [2]. months the percentage had decreased to 3.54.5 %.
The first difference is that peri-implant soft-tissue For this reason, reduced performances of gold
dimensions are enlarged (mean dimensions of abutments were supposedly caused by other fac-
33.5 mm of biologic width compared of the tors than induced inflammation. In particular, tita-
mean 2.5 mm around natural dentition). Second, nium and zirconia seem to favor a proper healing
hemidesmosomes are also present, but usually around the abutment, whereas gold does not con-
there are no collagen fibers running perpendicu- stitute an ideal material for soft-tissue integration.
lar to the abutment surface; instead parallel fibers The comprehensive review of Iglhaut and coll.
are present. Also the quality of connective tissue [5] outlined the fact that controversial results
is different; approximately 60 % of collagen exist in terms of soft-tissue healing around differ-
fibers and 1015 % of fibroblasts are evident ent materials. But sufficient evidence has been
around natural teeth, whereas around implants it accumulated such that gold abutments seem to
is possible to find around 85 % of collagen fibers favor a detrimental mucosal downgrowth when
and just 23 % of fibroblasts. compared to Ti and ceramic materials.
It has been stated that the mucosal connective Another issue that may have some importance
tissue around an implant resembles a scar (Iglahut in the soft-tissue adaptation is the disconnection
2014) [3] rich in fibrous tissue with scarce cellu- and reconnection of the implants. Its been shown
larity and reduced vascular supply. Considered experimentally that abutment disconnection and
that with an implant there is the absence of the reconnection can have some influence in
periodontal vascular plexus, the vascular supply increased epithelial downgrowth. Abrahamsson
is provided mainly by the supraperiosteal vessels and coll. [6] showed that repeated disconnected
(Fig. 8.1). and reconnected abutments five times every
Abrahamsson and coll. [4] evaluated the month showed greater bone resorption than abut-
mucosal attachments of different abutments in ments left untouched.
dogs. The experiment examined titanium, Also some clinical studies showed that place-
ceramic (Al2O3), and gold alloy abutments ment of the definitive abutment at the time of
installed in the mandibles of beagles. The histo- implant uncovering helps in the maintenance of
metric analysis took in consideration the distance the soft-tissue levels. Anyway, these observations
between PM-CBI at 3 months of healing; mea- need to be validated by large randomized clinical
surements gave mean results of 3.32 mm for Ti, trials.
3.36 for ceramic, and 2.55 for gold. It was con- In summary, titanium and ceramic materials
cluded that with gold abutments the length of like zirconia can be considered equivalent in
junctional epithelium and connective tissue terms of biocompatibility and soft-tissue adapta-
attachment was smaller compared to the other tion and seem to warrant better results when
two; this happened because soft tissue receded compared to gold cast alloys [7].
and ultimately bone resorption occurred in a
great quantity than the other two materials.
These results were confirmed in another experi- 8.1.2 Titanium Versus Ceramic
ment by Welander and coll. [2] which evaluated Abutments: Clinical
titanium, zirconia, and gold abutments with the and Esthetic Results
same methodology. In this study was also per-
formed a qualitative assessment of the tissue From the clinician standpoint, it is important to
around the abutment. Polymorphonucleate leuko- understand which kind of implant abutment gives
cytes and other inflammatory cells were present the best results in terms of survival, complication
due to the presence of microorganisms in the sul- rates, and esthetics.
128 O. Iocca
The meta-analysis by Zembic and coll. [8] obtained with a colorimeter or spectrophotometer
analyzed the abutment survival rates, the inci- are expressed in numerical as E values (change
dence of biological and technical complications, in color between the peri-implant gingiva and
and esthetic outcomes of single abutments made tooth gingiva). The higher the difference between
of different materials. adjacent tissues, the lower is the esthetic out-
When titanium and zirconia studies were come. The meta-analysis showed that lower val-
compared, no significant difference between the ues emerged for zirconia abutments (E, 8.48;
two materials was found in terms of abutment CI 95 %, 7.719.94) compared to titanium (E,
survival estimates at 5 years. 10.88; CI 95 %, 10.1111.64); the results were
Regarding the technical complications, it was statistically significant.
confirmed that the most common occurrence was This further strengthens the consideration that
abutment screw loosening (see Chap. 3), but the zirconia gives better esthetic results compared to
incidence of complications was not linked to the titanium [1113].
adoption of a particular material instead of On the basis of the available data, titanium
another. On the other hand, there was a trend sug- and zirconia abutments seem to give good clini-
gestive of higher incidence of biological compli- cal results in terms of survival and risk of com-
cations for ceramic abutments compared to metal plications (Fig. 8.2). No clear advantage in the
abutments which was in contrast to most studies use of one material over the other can be showed
showing a similar biocompatibility of titanium analyzing the current evidence, although better
and ceramics. esthetic outcomes emerge with the adoption of
Esthetic evaluation, although considered dif- zirconia as implant-abutment material. On the
ficult for the lack of standardized methods of other hand, it needs to be pointed out that many
reporting and heterogeneity of the studies, evi- long-term studies are available in the case of tita-
denced no esthetic failures for the studies adopt- nium, but the same thing does not occur with zir-
ing ceramic abutments, while a 5-year estimate conia. Considered that mechanical strength
of esthetic complications was found to be around concerns arise when a ceramic material is used
0.9 % for metal abutments restorations. The for restoration, more information from long-
authors concluded that no difference in technical term follow-up studies will help to draw defini-
or biological performances can be found. Esthetic tive conclusions.
outcome difference, in particular the tissue color
change, was found to be worst for metal
abutments. 8.2 Abutment Screws
Another systematic review on the perfor-
mance of ceramic and metal abutments support- An implant abutment is secured to the implant by
ing fixed implant reconstruction concluded that an implant screw. Considered that screw loosen-
in the majority of the studies, the information ing is a common unwanted occurrence in implant
regarding ceramic abutments is limited by the dentistry (see Chap. 3), an attempt to describe the
low number of abutments analyzed and the short mechanics of the abutment screw may help to
follow-up time and it cannot be excluded that this understand how to decrease the incidence of
has a role in the results of the analyses. complications related to this prosthetic
Linkevicius and coll. [10] conducted a meta- component.
analysis on the only three RCTs available about
specific esthetic results of zirconia versus tita-
nium abutments. In particular, an objective evalu- 8.2.1 Preload
ation of the buccal gingiva color with a
colorimeter was used as a term of comparison The screw is retained to the implant by a tight-
between zirconia and titanium abutments at 1 ening force that is dependent by the torque
week after placement and healing. The results applied to the screw (in N/cm). The transformed
8 Implant Abutments 129
a b
Fig. 8.2 (ac) Zirconia implant placed in region #11 (a), zirconia abutment in place (b), esthetic results after 13 weeks
(c) (Reproduced with permission from Kohal and coll.)
force is transmitted to the abutment screw to apply a given torque value which should
threads and to the implant threaded surfaces allow to obtain the optimal preload for the spe-
accommodating the screw. This contact force cific screw.
produces a linear stretch of the screw that ulti- Finite element analysis (FEA) studies have
mately results in holding the components examined the dynamics of the preload develop-
together. This initial load and elongation of the ment when specific torque values were applied.
screw is called preload which is measured in Lang and coll. [15] established the optimal pre-
newtons (N) (Fig. 8.3). load value to be 75 % of the yield strength, while
Preload is crucial in ensuring the clamping that for a common Ti screw is around 825 N. In
of the screw to the implant; it is dependent by their FEA study, it was stated that a torque of
the torque applied, the design of the screw, more than 35 N/cm was necessary in order to
the material adopted, and the surface achieve the recommended preload values of at
conditions [14]. least 825 N.
There is a point in which optimal preload is Another FEA study by Bulaqi and coll. [16]
achieved, this corresponds to the optimal abut- arrived at the conclusion that the coefficient of
ment/implant stress interface, and above this friction of the surfaces and the speed of tighten-
point we have a plastic deformation of the screw, ing are important in increasing the preload. In
while below this point, we dont reach an optimal particular, reducing the coefficient of friction,
tightening. either with surface modifications or with the use
There is an almost linear correlation between of a lubricant, may help in achieving optimal pre-
the torque applied and the preload achieved; load values. Also increasing the tightening speed,
usually the different manufacturers recommend for example, from 15 rpm to 30 rpm, has a role in
130 O. Iocca
Rough spots
flattened due to the
setting effect
Fig. 8.4 Schematization of the settling effect showing the relation of the screw with the internal surface of the implant.
After few minutes, the rough spots that serve as contact points are flattened out and can be a cause of screw loosening
sufficient to retighten the screw 10 min after obtain an optimal preload with the hex type com-
placement, thus allowing the formation of new, pared to the slot [22] (Fig. 8.5).
stronger contact surfaces. Different thread designs may have an impact
The FEA study of Bulaqi and coll. [20] evalu- on the risk of occurrence of screw loosening.
ating the dynamic nature of screw retightening A 30-degree V-shaped thread is the most com-
and the settling effect arrived at the conclusion mon design adopted by manufacturers; the 30
that in order to increase the preload, a reduction angle allows to put a shear load on the material
of the coefficient of friction is more important and allows the stretching of the screw responsible
than retightening. for an optimal development of the preload. No
On this basis, it is safe to assume that reduc- studies are available comparing different thread
tion of the settling effect is important in increas- designs of abutment screws and their incidence
ing the preload; in order to do so, a reduction of of complications.
friction with a lubricant or selection of screws Screw diameter may play a role on the preload
manufactured with the smooth surfaces is indi- because a greater diameter corresponds to a
cated. Also, the simple act of retightening 10 min greater surface of engagement.
after placement can help in reducing the inci- Regarding the material composition, metals
dence of screw-loosening complications. are universally adopted in fabrication of implant-
Considered that torque loss is likely to develop abutment screw. Given the importance of the
over the course of the years, some authors recom- applied torque and friction coefficient in obtain-
mend a periodical retightening at the follow-up ing an optimal preload, metals employed should
visits as well [21]. respond to prerequisites of high elasticity and
adequate yield strength.
Gold is subject to plastic deformation; in con-
8.2.3 Antirotational Features sequence of this, once the torque is applied, it
deforms irreversibly and becomes non-
The driver head engages the screw through a fit- retrievable; for this reason, it has been replaced
ting site, this can have different shapes. The most by titanium screws.
common are the slot and the hex type. Grades 15 Ti have lower modulus of elastic-
Experimental studies showed that it is easier to ity and lower yield strength when compared to
132 O. Iocca
a b
Fig. 8.6 (ac) The arrow indicates a fractured screw (a); coronal fractured portion of the screw removed with a driver
(b); it was possible to retrieve the apical portion with the use of an ultrasonic tip (c)
due to clinical use and sterilization processes features. Only with the increasing use of dental
may impair their reliability and lead to the neces- implants, the clinicians and manufacturers
sity of recalibration or substitution. started to understand the importance of implant-
Finally, in order to reduce the settling effect, abutment connection for the long-term
retightening of the screw 10 min after placement success.
and periodic retightening at the follow-up visits External connection has an external compo-
should reduce the incidence of screw-loosening nent extending coronally. Internal connection
events. instead is located inside the implant body
(Fig. 8.7).
The shape of the connection is important
8.3 Internal Versus External because it contributes to the antirotational fea-
Connection tures. The most common for both the external
and internal connections is the hexagonal.
The first implant introduced by Brnemark had Another one is the Morse taper which can also be
a small external connection with the implant defined biconical and does not require an implant
abutment that was designed primarily to facili- screw for retention given that the stability is
tate the surgical placement of the implant ensured by mechanical engagement between the
instead of conferring stability and antirotational implant and the abutment.
134 O. Iocca
Fig. 8.8 Angled abutment may be necessary because of can create some esthetic issue; in this case, a cemented
the placement of the implant at a certain inclination; in this restoration may be a better solution (a). In (b) the anatomy
case, this was dictated by the bone anatomy; and the screw allowed an axial placement, and a straight abutment was
access hole was almost at the level of incisal margin which sufficient; also the screw access hole is more palatal
of bone around the implant, the implant material, micromotion of 30 % compared to 0 abutments.
the bone cells response to load, and the bone This can suggest caution in applying immediate
properties in general. For these reasons, any FEA loading protocols when such angled abutments
simulation must be taken as a very general should be used.
approximation of the magnitude of stress applied These results were confirmed in other studies
to bone with different angulations of abutments. conducted with the same methodology.
Cruz and coll. [31] performed a three- When clinical studies are considered, only
dimensional FEA of dental prostheses supported sparse data can be retrieved from the literature.
by straight and angled abutments. No difference Few prospective observational studies are avail-
in stress distribution patterns was evidenced for able which can be analyzed in order to have some
the two groups. clue regarding the survival of implants and pros-
The influence of abutment angulation on theses on angled and straight abutments [33].
micromotion and peri-implant bone stress was The survival rate of implant with connected
analyzed in another FEA study [32] in which angled abutments up to 30 was above 97 % in all
abutments of 0, 15, and 25 angulations were the studies analyzed; the survival of prostheses
compared. The results pointed out that the major- was above 95 %. These figures are comparable
ity of the stress, independent of the angulation, is with those of straight abutments and suggest that
concentrated at the level of the cortical bone on the use of angled abutments is a reliable option
the crest of the alveolar ridge. Compared with the when necessary (Fig. 8.10).
0 abutment, the stress increased of 12 % with In conclusion, even if the stress placed on the
angles of 15 and 18 % with angles of 25. peri-implant bone is greater around angled abut-
Regarding the micromotion, it was considered ments and is directly proportional to an increase
to be into the safety limits for osseointegration, in angulation, it is safe to assume that it remains
even if angles of 25 led to an increase in within biologically tolerable limits.
136 O. Iocca
Fig. 8.9 FEA study showing the distribution of von implant models are represented in ad. blue to red color
Mises stress (MPa) in model (right), in implant (center), represents stress values from lower to higher (Reproduced
and the cross sectional view of the model (left). Various with permission from Tian and coll [30])
The adoption of angled abutments does not Experimental results suggest precaution in
seem to reduce the survival rate of implants and adopting an immediate loading protocol when
prostheses and can be considered a predictable angled abutments, especially higher than 15, are
modality of treatment when necessary. necessary.
8 Implant Abutments 137
a b
Fig. 8.10 (a, b) In this case the angled abutment on implant #12,#22 of dictated the access hole to be buccal instead
than palatal (a). A cemented restoration was used and results were optimal (b)
a b c d
e f g h i
Fig. 8.11 Example of computer-aided design for an implant abutment (Reproduced with permission from Wu and coll.)
8.4.1 CAD/CAM Technologies is no waxing and casting, (b) abutments are cre-
for Implant-Abutment ated by a software so the final work is less depen-
Construction dent by technician skills and expertise, (c)
crown-abutment fit is potentially improved due to
Computer-aided design and computer-aided man- the precision methods of recording and manufac-
ufacturing (CAD/CAM) is a technology that has turing, and (d) the mechanical properties of the
been available in prosthetic and implant dentistry adopted material are improved because of the
for at least two decades. Continuous improvement increased homogeneity deriving by manufactur-
have rendered possible to think about a routine ing from a single block.
use of this technology in the everyday practice. Anyway, while in vitro experiments have con-
Different CAD/CAM systems are available firmed the validity of such techniques, the clini-
on the market and allow to provide manufactur- cal outcomes are still being investigated [34].
ing of titanium, alumina, or zirconia abutments Kapos and coll. [35] systematically reviewed
(Fig. 8.11). the studies on CAD/CAM abutments. Two studies
Potential advantages in employing such tech- were included for the evaluation of single implants
niques include (a) increased precision since there and single-unit restorations manufactured with
138 O. Iocca
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the two clinical trials included 53 ceramic abut- Oral Implants Res. 26, 139147 (2015)
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failures or complications were reported. randomized controlled clinical study. Clin. Oral
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Implant Prosthodontics
9
Oreste Iocca, Giuseppe Bianco,
and Simn Pardias Lpez
Abstract
The goal of a prosthetic restoration is to provide good esthetic and func-
tional outcomes on a long-term basis. For the clinician, implant prosth-
odontics poses many decision-making challenges.
Choice of screw- or cement-retained implant prosthesis is still a matter
of personal preference, although some specific indications and contraindi-
cations are retrievable from the literature. Ease of manufacturing, risk of
complications, cost, and chair time are all factors that need to be evaluated
in the choice of a retention system.
Another doubt may arise regarding the adoption of cantilever prosthe-
sis in place of more complex surgical or prosthetic options. Finite element
analysis studies and clinical trials may help in providing survival and com-
plication rates of cantilevers.
In selected cases, advanced treatment options are necessary. It is the
case of zygomatic implants, which are useful when more traditional
approaches are unfeasible. Considering the delicate structures involved
and the surgical skills required, placement and restoration of zygoma
implants should be performed in adequate structures by properly trained
clinicians.
The All-on-FourTM is a prosthetic concept which employs four implants
in the anterior jaw, of which the distal two are maximally angulated. The
sparse evidence coming from the literature suggests that this can be a reli-
able option in selected cases.
Another question that seeks for an answer regards the ideal number of
implants to achieve optimal results. Clear indications are available for full-
mouth fixed rehabilitations, in which minimum four implants in the man-
dible and six implants in the maxilla are considered the most reliable
solutions.
Implant overdentures are still an important option for edentulous
patients, especially in the elderly. Analysis of the various attachment sys-
tems and the number of implants can help in selection of the best treatment
options.
Accurate impression taking is a fundamental step for achievement of
optimal prosthetic results. Materials adopted should possess some funda-
mental basic properties. Regarding the impression techniques in implant
dentistry, two options are available: transfer and pick up.
Finally, optimal esthetic results depend by numerous factors; it is the
mimicry with the natural tissues that ensures the best outcomes. It is not
easy to arrive at strong evidence-based conclusions on this topic, mainly
due to the lack of RCTs and a poorly standardized way of reporting the
esthetic outcomes.
the implant which is the cause of inflammation On the opposite side, FDPs showed a trend
and implant loss in some cases. suggestive of greater prosthetic failure rates for
When survival of the prostheses was analyzed, the cemented group, but again results were not
in single-crown study, more reconstructions statistically significant.
failed in the screw-retained group. Also the full- The analysis outlined that technical complica-
arch prostheses group showed a similar trend tions were generally higher for the screw-retained
with higher reconstruction failures in the screw reconstructions, in particular screw loosening
group. Anyway, these results were not statisti- and chipping/fracture of the ceramic. Regarding
cally significant. this last complication, one may ask why cemented
prostheses suffer a lesser degree of ceramic dam-
Table 9.2 Cement-retained restorations age; it is likely that the occlusal forces exerted on
Advantages Disadvantages the cemented restoration simply lead to dece-
A general ease of Difficulty in removal of mentation. Oppositely, when forces are exerted
manufacturing and excess cement, which is one on screw-retained prostheses, they are not
manipulation, due to of the main causes of dissipated, and consequently their full load acts
their similarity with biological complications on the ceramic, unless screw loosening occurs.
reconstructions on
natural abutments As expected, serious biological complications
Reduced cost and less Difficult removal of the (bone loss exceeding 2 mm) were more frequent
chair time restoration if the abutment for cement-retained reconstructions; this is in
screw loosens line with the numerous studies about the inci-
Considering that cemented dence of peri-implantitis due to excess of cement
prostheses necessitate at
least 5 mm to provide
around the implants. It is also expected that
retention; in case of reduced access to cement remnants is impaired with large
occlusal space, adoption of reconstructions; this may explain the higher fail-
a screw-retained restoration ure rates of implants under cement-retained
is the only choice
restorations.
Technical complications were higher for the
screw-retained group, the most frequent being
loosening of the screw. It must be addressed that
complications of this kind, although time-
consuming and unpleasant for the patient, are
usually resolvable within a single visit. On the
opposite side, if the abutment screw loosens
under cemented restorations, retightening of the
abutment screw may become difficult/impossible
and destruction of crown necessary in order to
uncover the screw hole.
In the end, the authors concluded that
cemented reconstructions exhibit less technical
complications but more serious biological
problems reflected in higher implant failure
rates.
Fig. 9.1 This is a typical case in which an angulated abut- Specifically, for single crowns, incidence of
ment is necessary due to the bone anatomy; this situation complications was similar for both groups; there-
usually occurs in the anterior regions. The use of a screw- fore, both types of fixation methods can be rec-
retained restoration will result in an access hole on the
ommended (Figs. 9.2 and 9.3), but when FDPs
buccal aspect (red line), which is contraindicated in the
esthetic zone. For this reason, a cemented restoration is and full-arch restorations are employed, screw-
preferable retained reconstructions seem preferable for the
144 O. Iocca et al.
ease of retrievability and for the lower rates of Failure rates by reconstruction type put in evi-
biological problems (Fig. 9.4). dence a not statistically significant higher sur-
Another systematic review [2] analyzed the vival for cement retained when compared to
survival rates according to material type and type screw-retained single crowns, FDPs, and full-
of reconstruction, giving estimates at 5 years. arch restorations.
a b
Fig. 9.2 Example of cemented restoration in the molar A screw-retained restoration would have been feasible
region; this is a case in which the choice of the retention without contraindications
system is a matter of clinicians personal preferences.
a b
Table 9.3 Summary of the systematic reviews providing a quantitative analysis of reconstruction survival rates for
screw-retained and cement-retained groups
Screw-
retained Cement- Screw- Screw-retained Cement-retained
single retained retained Cement- full-arch full-arch
crown single crown FPD retained FDP restoration restoration
Sailer and 89.3 % 96.5 % 98.0 % 96.9 % 95.8 % 100 % (88.9100)
coll. [1] (64.997.1) (94.897.7) (96.299.0) (90.899.0) (9197.9)
5-year estimate
95 % CI
Wittneben 91.1 % 96.3 % 91.5 94.6 % 96.7 % /
and coll. (76.796.8) (93.997.8) (%76.5 (85.898.1) (93.698.3)
10-year estimate 97.1)
95 % CI
Table 9.4 Summary of the systematic review providing a quantitative analysis of implant survival rates for screw-
retained and cement-retained groups
Screw- Cement- Screw-retained Cement-retained
retained retained single Screw- Cement- full-arch full-arch
single crown crown retained FPD retained FDP restoration restoration
Sailer and 98.6 % 97.7 % 98.7 % 97.6 % 98.4 % 94.2 %
coll. [1] (96.699.4) (96.898.4) (97.699.3) (96.898.3) (95.899.4) (86.597.6)
5-year estimate
95 % CI
9
Table 9.5 Summary of the systematic review providing a quantitative analysis of technical complication rates for screw-retained and cement-retained groups
Screw-retained single Cement-retained single Screw-retained full-arch Cement-retained
Implant Prosthodontics
Table 9.6 Summary of the systematic review providing a quantitative analysis of biological complication rates for screw-retained and cement-retained groups
Screw-retained single Cement-retained single Screw-retained full-arch Cement-retained full-arch
crown crown Screw-retained FPD Cement-retained FDP restoration restoration
Sailer and Soft tissue Soft tissue recession Soft tissue Bone loss >2 mm 6.5 % Soft tissue recession Bone loss >2 mm 34.7 %
coll. [1] complication 23.9 % 4.4 % (1.017.6) complication 6.5 % (4.69.1) 16.7 % (11.823.9) (18.554.3)
5-year (1439.1) Soft tissue (220) Soft tissue recession Bone loss >2 mm 11.4 % Soft tissue complication
estimate Soft tissue recession complication 4.3 % Bone loss >2 mm 0.0 % (049.5) (6.718.9) (Na)
95 % CI 0.0 % (036.9) (3.06.1) 2.5 % (2.34.7) Soft tissue complication Soft tissue complication Soft tissue recession (Na)
Bone loss >2 mm 0.0 % Bone loss >2 mm Soft tissue recession (Na) (Na)
(06.0) 2.8 % (1.36) (Na)
147
148 O. Iocca et al.
created, and bone remodeling equations were stress caused by a cantilever extension; therefore,
applied establishing a reference stimulus, an the results should be taken cautiously.
overload threshold, a remodeling coefficient for Regarding the technical complications, porce-
cortical and trabecular bone, and a lazy zone. In lain fracture was the most common, but its
this way, it was possible to simulate, within the relation with the presence of cantilever was not
limits of computer-generated values, how the clear; on the other hand, screw loosening for the
bone responds to different prosthetic designs. cantilever group had a relatively higher incidence
The model gave the results of a more distributed than the non-cantilever restorations.
bone density induced by the non-cantilever con- It was possible to draw the conclusion that
figuration; the cantilever model resulted in a MBL does not seem to be related to the cantilever
lower density around the implant neck indicative and that only minor prosthetic complications can
of increased bone remodeling due to the stress occur when a distal extension is present.
exerted by the loads of the cantilever model. A systematic review [10] of the survival rate
It must be pointed out that FEA studies and the biological, technical, and esthetic com-
attempting to evaluate what happens in a given plications of cantilevered implant prostheses
clinical scenario are always a simplification of with a mean of 5 years of follow-up was
the real mechanisms occurring in a biological performed.
system. Summary estimates at 510 years were calcu-
Bacterial influence, bone cell response to dif- lated by the inclusion of prospective and retro-
ferent stresses, assumption that bone is an isotro- spective studies.
pic material when in fact it is anisotropic, these Implant survival in implant-supported cantile-
are all factors that are difficult or impossible to ver prostheses was estimated to be 91.1 % (CI
include in a FEA study. 90.199.2), very similar to previous results on
Also, the simulated forces are simplified in implant prostheses without cantilever extensions
respect to what happens in vivo because it is dif- (see Chap. 3).
ficult to simulate the patterns of mastication The authors also analyzed the component-
loading. related complications and the prosthesis compli-
Nevertheless, this kind of studies can help in cation. Cumulative incidence for implant fracture
giving orientations to the clinical research allows was again similar to other studies on non-
to understand some phenomenons difficult to cantilever restorations. The same was true for
evaluate in real-life situations. veneer fracture.
Clinical studies on dental implant prosthesis Regarding the biological complications, MBL
cantilever have been conducted by many groups did not seem to be influenced by the cantilever
of research with some conflicting results emerg- extension, while the incidence of peri-implantitis
ing from the analysis of the literature. These con- was not evaluated for poor reporting in the
troversies arise because of the high heterogeneity included studies.
between the various studies and in general In light of this, rehabilitation with a cantilever
because of a paucity of well-performed RCTs. extension was not considered detrimental in
Torrecillas-Martinez and coll. [9] performed a terms of implant survival, complications, and
meta-analysis evaluating the marginal bone loss bone loss when compared to non-cantilever
(MBL) and the prosthetic complications of group.
implant-supported cantilevers. Only cohort stud- Similar results were obtained in a systematic
ies were included with a follow-up range of review [11] including prospective, retrospective,
38.2 years. The amount of MBL was found to and case-control studies, in which weighted
be less for the non-cantilever group, but the mean of implant loss was higher for cantilever
results were not statistically significant (p = 0.47). implant prostheses than non-cantilever group.
It was pointed out that MBL is anyway influ- The most common complication detected was
enced by many factors other than the peri-implant chipping followed by screw loosening, and their
150 O. Iocca et al.
incidence was slightly higher in the cantilever ported by two or more implants is a valid option
group. The presence of cantilever seemed to have that may be adopted when other, more compli-
no effect on significant peri-implant bone loss. In cated solutions are excluded from the treatment
the end, this review further corroborates the planning (Table 9.7).
assumption that incorporation of cantilever pros-
theses may be associated with a slight increase in
technical complications, but overall, it is safe to 9.1.3 Tilted Implants
say that implant-supported short cantilever exten-
sions may be considered an acceptable treatment The use of tilted implants represents another
option. alternative in treatment of partial or complete
It seems clear that implant-supported cantile- edentulism. For example, the use of tilted
ver extension can be considered a predictable and implants inserted adjacent to the maxillary sinus
reliable treatment option. On the other hand, it wall can spare a sinus lift procedure (Fig. 9.7). In
should be noted that no study clearly defined the the mandible, the excessive bone atrophy of the
effect of mesial (Fig. 9.5) versus distal cantilever posterior regions may render the placement of
on the survival and complications rates of tilted implants in the intraforaminal area the only
implants and prostheses; moreover, studies eval- alternative to a bone grafting procedure.
uating single implant cantilevers are scarce. Also, The question is if the angulation of an implant
all the systematic reviews and meta-analysis may lead to unfavorable loading conditions and if
point out that few studies and no RCTs are avail- this is related to worst clinical outcomes com-
able, although a positive factor is that heteroge- pared to axially placed implants.
neity between the various studies is considered to Again, FEA studies may help in addressing
be low. the question if, in the presence of tilted implants,
Furthermore, numerous biases such as smok- stress loads are increased on the bone and on the
ing, parafunctional habits, and oral hygiene can implant structures.
confound the results of the biological The FEA analysis performed by Bevilacqua
complications. and coll. [12] on a 3D edentulous jaw compared
Within these limitations, the adoption of axially placed versus tilted implants at various
implant-supported cantilever restorations sup- degree of angulation. As expected, loading and
Table 9.7 Systematic reviews evaluating the effect of cantilever on implant-supported prostheses implant survival
Screw or
Implant abutment
Implant Prostheses fracture fracture Veneer fracture Biological
survival survival complication complication complication complications
Romeo and 98.7 % 96.5 % 0.7 % 1.6 % (0.83.5) 10.1 % 5.7 % (4.27.6)
coll. [10] (96.2 (94.897.7) (0.14.7) (3.716.5 %)
510-year 99.5)
estimate
95 % CI
Zurdo and 97.1 % 91.9 % / / / /
coll. [11] (95.5 (8895.8)
Weighted mean 98.6)
5-year survival
95 % CI
Aglietta and 97.1 % 84.1 % (98) 1.3 % 2.1 % (0.95.1) 10.3 % 10.5 % (3.926.4)
coll. [50] (94.3 (0.28.3) (3.926.6)
Cumulative 98.5)
5-year estimate
95 % CI
9 Implant Prosthodontics 151
tilting single implants increased the stress on the Systematic reviews and meta-analysis
peri-implant bone. An interesting finding was attempted to draw some conclusions from data
that tilted implants supporting a shortened canti- retrieved by clinical studies specifically evaluat-
lever decreased the stress on both the bone and ing tilted implants.
the prosthetic structure when compared to verti- A recent meta-analysis included 44 publica-
cal implants supporting cantilever prostheses. tions [15] on this topic, but only retrospective and
This suggests that tilted implants may aid in prospective clinical studies were found, with no
decreasing the stress on the peri-implant bone presence of RCTs. A positive factor was the low
and prosthesis because they allow a reduction of heterogeneity between the included studies.
the cantilever length. Results showed that there was a not statisti-
A two-dimensional FEA [13] arrived at the cally significant difference regarding implant
same conclusions, showing that although failure rates of tilted implants when compared to
increased loading from the presence of cantilever vertically placed. The authors performed a sub-
cannot be eliminated, it is anyway reduced group analysis in order to evaluate maxillary and
greatly with the inclination of the distal implants. mandibular implants separately; in the maxilla, a
These results encouraged the adoption of tilted significant difference was found favoring the axi-
implants in clinical studies in order to improve ally placed compared to tilted implants.
the prosthetic and biological outcomes. Conversely, no difference was evidenced for the
Lan and coll. [14] simulated different combi- mandibular implants. This can be explained by
nations of angulations (vertical, mesial, or distal the fact that maxillary bone, especially in the pos-
inclination) of two adjacent implants supporting terior regions, is of poor quality and consequently
a splinted prosthesis. It was found that the load- prone to suffer from the higher stress derived by
ing type (vertical or oblique) is the main factor in tilted implants. This problem instead seems to
determining the stress on the peri-implant bone. not affect the denser mandible.
Also, the parallelism or divergence of implant About MBL changes, no significant difference
apices seemed of not having an influence of bone was outlined between the two groups.
stress. Furthermore, the distal inclination of one Two other previous meta-analyses [16, 17]
implant and vertical position of the other resulted draw similar conclusions, but when subgroup
in peak of maximum stress: therefore, it was sug- analysis of mandibular and maxillary implants
gested to avoid this configuration in clinical was done, no significant difference between the
practice. two was found, probably because in these analy-
ses, studies with longer follow-ups were included
(>1 year after loading), and this probably led to
equilibrate the success and failures between the
maxillary and mandibular groups.
A systematic review and meta-analysis
addressed the question of immediate loading
rehabilitation with tilted implants only of the
maxilla [18]. No significant differences were
found between axial and tilted groups regarding
implant survival and MBL change. Therefore,
immediate loading with tilted implants in the
maxilla was considered a reliable procedure.
Limitations of these reviews and meta-analyses
need to be considered. First, no RCTs evaluating
the use of angulated implants in the mandible or
Fig. 9.7 Tilted implant placed in a patient that refused the maxilla were available for inclusion. Obviously,
sinus lift procedure additional long-term studies are necessary. This
152 O. Iocca et al.
has direct repercussions on the inability to control survival and the crestal bone level changes around
confounding factors, especially smoking, para- dental implants (Tables 9.8 and 9.9).
functional habits, and oral hygiene measures.
Moreover, most studies are retrospective, which
does not allow to have much control on the study 9.1.4 Zygoma Implants
in terms of record of information, missing data,
and impossibility to set the participants of the Anchorage of long implants to the zygoma bone is
study. Many clinical studies have small sample yet another alternative in case of extreme maxillary
size and short follow-up period. atrophy. Advantages of zygomatic implants include:
Finally, there is no consensus in the definition
of the minimal angulation that allows to define an Avoidance of bone grafting or complicated
implant tilted or axially placed; moreover, it is surgical procedures such as Le Fort I osteoto-
difficult to standardize the angulation in the vari- mies or distraction osteogenesis.
ous clinical circumstances because this is dic- Eliminate the morbidity associated with these
tated by the highly variable individual anatomy. procedures.
Nevertheless, the consistent results in various Allow implant rehabilitation in situations that
published reviews and meta-analyses suggest that normally would not allow to obtain good pros-
angulation of dental implants in the mesiodistal thetic outcomes, for example, after maxillary
plane does not seem to jeopardize the implant tumor ablation surgery.
Table 9.8 Meta-analysis comparison of tilted versus axially placed implants survival
Tilted versus
Studies axially placed Statistically
included Effect size implants Favoring significant
Menini and Retrospective RR (95 % CI) 1.23 (0.662.30) Axially No
coll. [18] and prospective placed (p-value 0.575)
Maxilla only studies
Risk ratio
(95 % CI)
Chracanovic Retrospective and RR (95 % CI) 1.89 (1.352.66) Axially No
and coll. prospective studies placed (p-value 0.450)
Risk ratio
(95 % CI)
Fig. 9.8 Classical approach for zygoma implant placement Fig. 9.9 Sinus slot technique for zygoma implant placement
(Reproduced with permission from Chrcanovic and coll.) (Reproduced with permission from Chrcanovic and coll.)
154 O. Iocca et al.
a d
Fig. 9.12 (ae) Zygomatic implant placement (a). Maxillary prosthesis (b, c). Delivery of the prosthesis and X-ray
showing the correct placement of the implants up to the zygomatic bone (d, e)
the short follow-up periods does not allow to Addressing this question, it is not an easy
draw any certain conclusion. Undoubtedly, long- task; in the past, some clinicians advocated the
term studies with follow-ups of at least 5 years option of one implant for every missing tooth,
are necessary. but clinical results have shown that this is not
the case.
Nevertheless, there is still a lack of clarity
9.2 Optimal Number of Implants when the issue of the ideal number of implant is
for Fixed Reconstructions analyzed.
Mericske-Stern and coll. [25] tried to find
One of the questions that accompanied the dental answers to the question reviewing the evidence of
implant practice since its beginning is about the the past 30 years. The authors concluded that
optimal number of implants that guarantees the despite the lack of long-term studies and RCTs
best clinical results. regarding the implant number and prosthetic
156 O. Iocca et al.
Bar, ball, magnets, and telescopic attach- the clinician, but it should be important to
ments are the most commonly employed mecha- understand if treatment outcome is in some way
nisms of retention [29]. dependent by the type of attachment chosen.
Kim and coll. [30] systematically reviewed the
A bar (Fig. 9.14) mechanism has the purpose publications on this topic; in their research, they
of splinting the abutment teeth and at the same included RCTs and prospective studies with fol-
time support the prostheses. low-up in the range of 110 years. Survival rate of
Ball (Fig. 9.15) attachments are the simplest implants ranged from 97 % to 100 % with a mean
type, constituted by a small ball on the implant survival of 98 %. Magnet attachments were most
which houses a corresponding space con-
tained within the prostheses.
Telescopic attachments (Fig. 9.16) are made
of a primary coping attached to the implant
which inserts in a secondary coping present
within the prostheses.
Magnets (Fig. 9.17) are composed of the rare
Earth material neodymium-iron-boron (Nd-
Fe-B) which is the most powerful magnet
available or another rare material which is
samarium-cobalt (Sm-Co).
a
a
b
b
Table 9.11 Overdenture complication reported rates increase in complications such as loss of reten-
OVD complications tion, especially at long term.
Andreiotelli Loss of retention 30 %
and coll. [28] Needs of rebasing/relining 19 %
Clip or attachment fracture 17 % 9.4 Dental Implant Impressions
OVD fracture 12 %
Opposing prosthesis fracture An accurate impression is one of the fundamental
12 % steps in the success of the implant treatment.
Acrylic resin fracture 7 % Accuracy of the impression has a direct role in
Prosthesis screw loosening 7 %
the accuracy of the cast and the proper fit of the
Abutment screw loosening 4 %
definitive prosthesis. Various materials and tech-
Abutment screw fracture 2 %
niques have been employed in implant dentistry,
Implant fracture 1 %
and choosing between them can be a challenge
necessity, in the range of 618 % according to for the practitioner [37].
various authors (Table 9.7). First of all, the ideal impression material
In conclusion, implant-supported or retained should possess some basic properties:
OVD constitutes an excellent treatment option in
edentulous denture wearers that for economical, Accuracy refers to the property of the mate-
surgical, or anatomical reasons cannot undergo rial to reproduce the fine details in a precise
extensive implant surgery for full-arch fixed den- way. An accurate material should be able to
tal prosthesis. reproduce details with a limit of at least
From a review of the literature, it emerges that 25 m.
the various attachment systems available are all Elastic recovery means that, after induration,
reliable although a possible increase in complica- the material is deformed by the undercut areas
tions can occur with magnets and ball attach- in the mouth during removal, but then it recov-
ments. The presence of a bar does not seem to ers its original shape.
confer appreciable improvements in clinical out- Hydrophilia is another important property
comes for the mandibular OVD, whereas in the because it allows the material to flow even in
maxilla, six implants connected by a bar consti- the presence of saliva or blood. In fact, the
tute a safer option in terms of implant and pros- more a material is hydrophilic, the more it can
thesis survival. spread over a given surface.
Finally, it was observed that mandibular OVD Viscosity refers to the ease of the material to
sustained by two implants gives excellent results flow readily. It is important for a given mate-
and should be considered the treatment of choice rial to possess an equilibrium in viscosity such
for denture wearers. The choice of the attachment that it can be contained in the tray without
system does not influence the success and sur- flowing away but at the same time maintain a
vival rates of implant and prostheses. Anyway, it certain degree of flowability into the small
seems that magnets are associated with an anatomic details.
9 Implant Prosthodontics 161
removal of the set impression; their insertion 9.4.1 Implant Impression Accuracy
occurs outside of the mouth on the indentations
left on the impression. Regarding the assessment of implant impression
In the pickup technique (Figs. 9.21, 9.22, and technique accuracy, the majority of the available
9.23), the impression copings and the analogues studies comprise in vitro evaluations.
are screwed to the implant; an open tray is used to Linear distortion is the most common method
take the impression. With the tray still in the used for the evaluation of impression accuracy,
mouth, the analogues are removed, and finally which is the assessment of the displacement on
the coping-impression assembly is removed the x,y,z plane of the implant or abutment heads
together; at the end, the analogues will be con- between each other after having established two
nected to the copings outside of the mouth and reference points (such as the abutments them-
sent to the laboratory. selves). Displacement is the most important fac-
To ensure the maximal stability of all the com- tor determining the impression accuracy.
ponents, there is the possibility to splint the cop- Angular distortion instead aims at evaluating
ings together in the mouth with a scaffold formed the rotation of the implant head around the
of dental floss or orthodontic wire covered by a implant long axis and the translation of the head
resin. along a reference plane.
Finally, digital impressions have emerged as Due to the nature of the evaluations, only
possible alternatives to the traditional techniques narrative reviews are available for assessment
(Figs. 9.24 and 9.25). and comparison of various implant impression
a c
b d
Fig. 9.21 (ad) Pickup (open-tray) technique, the coping assembly is finally removed from the mouth (d). Two
is screwed to the implant (a). An open tray is used to take materials (dual-viscosity method) of different consistency
the impression (b). With the tray still in the mouth, the were used (PVS)
analogues are removed (c), and the coping-impression
9 Implant Prosthodontics 163
a d
b
e
Fig. 9.23 (af) Splinting of the implants with resin at the scaffold for the resin was made with tooth floss (a, b);
moment of taking, the impression ensures the greatest dual-viscosity materials (PVS) were used in an open-tray
precision due to the absence of micromovement at the technique (c). Excellent reproduction of details for an
moment of tray removal from the mouth. In this case, the immediate loading restoration (df)
upon the materials adopted and upon the perfect Implants malpositioning seems to play a
integrations of the implant and the prosthesis role in esthetic outcomes. In particular, an
with the surrounding structures. excessive buccal inclination of the implant
Other factors such as implant position, pro- increases the possibility to incur in mucosal
visional restorations, and timing of loading recessions.
may have a role in obtaining optimal esthetic Adoption of a provisional to allow proper
results. adaptation and evaluation of the tissues before
The review of Martin and coll. [45] addressed temporary restorations was strongly recom-
this topic, examining RCTs and prospective and mended because it allows the possibility of plan-
case series studies published in the last decade. ning the final restoration. Moreover, soft tissue
9 Implant Prosthodontics 165
a b
Fig. 9.25 (ac) Example of digital impression taken with intraoral scan bodies and custom abutment fabrication
(Reproduced with permission from Brandt and coll.)
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Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery
10
Simn Pardias Lpez, Eduardo Anitua,
and Mohammad H. Alkhraisat
Abstract
The long-term predictability of dental implants is directly associated with
the quality and quantity of the available bone for implant placement. Many
times, clinicians have to face situations where implants cannot be placed
in an ideal position. For different reasons, soft and hard tissues do not
present an adequate volume that is required to achieve an ideal situation to
ensure the survival, function, and aesthetics of our implants. To solve these
problems, bone grafting procedures may be indicated in order to prepare
the site in advance or sometimes at the time of implant surgery. When the
alveolar ridges lack appropriate volume, reconstructive surgery is needed.
Several surgical techniques and bone grafting materials are available
for that purpose. For that, the surgeon needs a critical evaluation of all
these techniques and biomaterials to be able to select the most appropriate
procedure and graft type.
The ultimate aim of the surgeon is to maximize success and minimize
morbidity.
The use of bone grafts in the repair of defects in dentistry has a long
history of success, primarily with the use of autogenous bone. There is an
increase in the demand for reconstructive surgery and thus bone substi-
tutes, principally due to the increase in life expectancy, changes in the
lifestyles with expectation of a good life quality, and the wide acceptance
of minimally invasive surgery.
Success rates of different bone grafting tech- Many courses and lectures often show high
niques are high and often have the same success implant and grafting success and survival rates;
rates as in native pristine bone. However, although it may be true, this data should be ana-
disadvantages such as morbidity, prolonged treat- lyzed with care as they may not have enough
ment times, increased costs, and technically long-term basis, the inclusion and exclusion cri-
demanding procedures that require an expert sur- teria may eliminate patients with high risk of
geon are associated with these techniques. Each complications, or the lecturers may have a great
treatment has its own indications and contraindi- experience with a specific type of material or
cations, as well as advantages and disadvantages. implant and will show their most successful
Therefore, many clinicians and patients are will- cases.
ing to perform the easiest and less invasive proce- Another reason is that nowadays due to patient
dure to solve their situation, avoiding graft surgery. expectations or clinician desires, more aggressive
In this sense, many other options are also available protocols such as extraction, grafting, and imme-
such as zygomatic implants, short implants, tilted diate implant placement with immediate loading
implants, computerized implantology, etc., which are used. Also many times implants are placed in
also have their indications, limitations, and risks. compromised sites where there is inadequate
There are different reasons for the number of bone and soft tissue that requires augmentation
complications and failures experienced by the procedures before implant placement.
clinicians. One is that the total number of Considerable controversy still exist regarding
implants placed has increased during the last 10 the choice of the most reliable technique and
years, and consequently a more number of den- materials. However, the clinician should be aware
tists started to place implants and perform recon- that the most important thing and the end goal of
structing procedures, often without the necessary treatment is to provide the patient a functional
academic background and training. Moreover, and aesthetic restoration in harmony with the
many practitioners currently receive their surgi- natural dentition. The easiest procedure could be
cal training from continuing education courses, the first choice, provided it offers the same suc-
many times given by implant and material com- cess rates as the more complex one, and the clini-
panies. These trainings usually lack of the suffi- cian has the required experience to perform it.
cient clinical practice and enough patient This chapter will summarize in an evidence-
follow-up that will enable the clinician to based approach the most common reconstructive
become familiar with intraoral surgical compli- options available, materials used, and their
cations as well as postoperative and long-term outcomes, focusing on its limitations, complica-
complications. tions, and success rates (Fig. 10.1).
10.3.1.2 Allografts
The bone is obtained from an individual and
placed in another individual of the same species
[15]. Two main types of allogeneic bone grafts
are clinically used, freeze-dried bone allografts
(FDBAs) and demineralized (decalcified) freeze-
dried bone allografts (DFDBAs). Fig. 10.4 Autogenous block graft
176 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
They are available in particulate, block, and There is evidence that Bio-Oss undergoes
injectable forms and are composed of cortical resorption by giant multinucleated cells (like
bone, cancellous bone, or a composite of both osteoclasts). However, the in vivo resorption of
[16, 17]. Bio-Oss is very slow, which explains its pres-
The use of this source of bone substitute mate- ence in biopsies obtained after 10 years of place-
rials varies between countries. For example, it is ment [23, 24]. It is available in cancellous and
the most frequently used as an alternative to cortical granules and blocks. A 10 % of highly
autogenous bone in the USA [18]. The FDBA is purified porcine collagen is added to produce
both an osteoconductive and osteotransductive Bio-Oss collagen (Fig. 10.6).
bone substitute material.
The acid (0.50.6 molar hydrochloric acid) 10.3.1.4 Alloplastic Materials
demineralization of bone samples to obtain the The use of synthetic biomaterials for bone graft-
DFDBA would preserve and expose bone mor- ing presents several advantages like unlimited
phogenetic proteins (osteoinductive proteins). quantity, avoidance of surgical morbidity associ-
Urist has been the first to describe the osteoin- ated with the harvesting of autogenous bone, and
ductivity of DFDBA [13]. However, the osteoin- no risk of disease transmission [25].
ductivity of DFDBA shows great variation and is Most alloplastic materials are composed of
highly dependent on the manufacturing proce- calcium and phosphate ions due to its chemical
dure [19, 20]. similarity to the mineral component of the bone
[26]. The most common calcium phosphates that
10.3.1.3 Xenografts are commercially available are ceramic in nature
The bone is harvested from an individual and (synthesized at high temperature) like hydroxy-
placed in another individual of different species. apatite (HA), tricalcium phosphate (TCP), and
Three main sources could be identified: bovine, biphasic calcium phosphates (sintered HA and
coral, and porcine. Bio-Oss (Osteohealth Co., -TCP) [27]. Synthetic, nonceramic resorbable
Shirley, NY), Bio-Oss Collagen (Osteohealth hydroxyapatite materials are also available.
Co., Shirley, NY), OsteoGraf/N (VeraMed Calcium phosphates have the ability to pro-
Dental, LLC, Lakewood, CO), PepGen P-15 mote bone growth and an appropriate three-
(Dentsply Friadent, Mannheim, Germany), and dimensional geometry to promote cellular
Endobon (Biomet 3i, Palm Beach Gardens, viability. -tricalcium phosphate (-TCP) is one
FL) are examples of commercially available of the most frequently used synthetic grafts in
bovine-derived bone substitute materials. implant dentistry [28]. Tatum in 1986 was the first
OsteoBiol Gen-Os (Tecnoss Dental, Turin, to successfully apply a bone substitute (tricalcium
Italy) is a hydrophilic porcine-derived bone sub- phosphate) for sinus floor augmentation [28].
stitute that contains both porous hydroxyapatite Various randomized clinical trials have been
structure and collagen. Biocoral (Inoteb, Saint conducted to study the efficiency of biphasic cal-
Connery, France) and porous fluorohydroxyapa- cium phosphate (BCP) and beta-tricalcium phos-
tite (FRIOS Algipore) (Friadent GmbH, phate (-TCP) in bone regeneration. New bone
Mannheim, Germany) are examples of commer- formation with BCP ranged between 21 and 30 %
cially available products of coral and algae ori- after 56 months postoperatively [2931]. In one
gin. The mineral composition of all these grafts is study, new bone formation reached a value of
hydroxyapatite as shown in Fig. 10.5. 41 % after 8 months [32]. The -TCP promotes
Deproteinized, anorganic bovine bone (Bio- 3036 % of new bone formation after 6 months of
Oss, Geistlich Pharma AG, Wolhusen, sinus floor augmentation [33, 34]. Both bone
Switzerland) is one of the most studied bone sub- substitutes are resorbable with a residual bone
stitute materials [21]. Bio-Oss is an anorganic graft between 10 and 28 % for BCP and between
bovine bone that is chemically and thermally 13.95 and 28.4 % for TCP [2932].
treated to extract all organic components, main- Calcium sulfate has been used in craniofacial
taining the 3D structure of the bone [22]. surgery for more than 100 years [27]. However,
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 177
Polylactic-HA
HA
Synthetic HA
Ostim
Bio-Oss
Not-calcined
Bovine bone
Tutoplast
10.3.2 Which Is the Best Bone Graft tion, the mean gain in ridge width was reported to
for Alveolar Bone be 4.4 mm, the percentage of cases that had no
Augmentation? additional grafting was 97.2 %, and the complica-
tion rate was 3.8 % [40]. When no autogenous
10.3.2.1 Alveolar Ridge block graft was used, the corresponding figures
Augmentation were 2.6 mm and 75.6 and 39.6 %. The survival
In one systematic review, a mean implant sur- of implants placed in augmented area with autog-
vival rate of 98.6 2.9 % for autogenous bone enous block from intraoral site ranged from 96.9
alone (healing period before implant placement to 100 % [40]. The same RCT reported that aug-
5.1 1.4 months), 100 % for bone substitute mented sites that were covered with nonresorb-
material + autogenous bone (healing time before able membranes showed a mean gain in ridge
implant placement 5.25 1.9 months), and width of 2.9 mm. When resorbable membranes
97.4 2.5 % for bone substitute material alone were used, a mean gain in ridge width was
(healing time before implant placement 4.3 mm, and when no membrane was used, the
4.7 1.1 months) for a follow-up period of results were 4.5 mm [40]. When the complication
30.6 27.1 months has been reported. Implant rate was calculated for studies with the use of
success was indicated in five studies and ranged nonresorbable membranes, resorbable mem-
from 90.3 to 100 % [14]. branes, or no membranes, the corresponding
Five studies (from 2000 to Jan 2014) that rates were 23.6, 18.9, and 9.4 % [40].
compared the clinical outcome of ridge augmen- In a RCT, anorganic bovine bone with resorb-
tation procedure using bone substitute material or able and nonresorbable membranes has been eval-
autogenous bone have been included in the meta- uated in horizontal ridge augmentation [40, 41].
analysis. The meta-analysis has shown no statis- The outcomes have indicated that both groups
tically significant difference between both types experience high frequencies of membrane expo-
of grafts. Three studies compared implant sur- sures of 64 and 71 %, respectively [40, 41]. The
vival after ridge augmentation using bone substi- most predictable horizontal bone augmentation
tute material + autogenous bone or autogenous seems to involve an autogenous block graft alone
bone alone. All these studies showed a survival or in combination with a particulate bone graft of
rate of 100 % for both grafting materials [14] bone substitute material [40]. The best docu-
(Fig. 10.7). mented grafting protocol included intraorally har-
When autogenous bone blocks (alone or in vested autogenous bone block alone or in
combination with membrane, grafting materials) combination with anorganic bovine bone and with
have been utilized for horizontal bone augmenta- or without coverage of barrier membrane [40].
In the same systematic review, regarding verti- 83.8 %, 68.8 % of the cases showing a complete
cal bone augmentation, the use of autogenous defect fill. Membrane or graft dehiscence was
block graft has resulted in a height gain of reported in 15.5 % of the cases. The use of anor-
3.7 mm, 83.1 % of the cases did not require sec- ganic bovine bone with or without membrane
ond grafting and the complication rate was resulted in a mean defect fill of 88.9 % and a
29.8 % [40]. However, when particulate autograft complete defect fill was achieved in 67.7 % of the
or bone substitute material has been utilized, the cases. The rate of dehiscence was 12 %. Implant
corresponding figures were 3.6 mm, 67.4 and survival rates of 93100 % have been reported.
21.0 % [40]. Comparing the data whether a mem-
brane was used or not, the gain in ridge height Use of Membranes
was 3.5 mm vs. 4.2 mm, and the complication Successful vertical and horizontal ridge augmen-
rate was 23.2 % vs. 25.3 % [40]. tation with the GBR technique, using both resorb-
The most frequent grafting materials used able and nonresorbable membranes, was shown
were intraorally harvested autogenous block in human studies [8, 44, 45].
graft and autogenous particulate. The grafts were Nonresorbable barriers are available as
harvested from the mandibular chin or body/ e-PTFE, titanium-reinforced e-PTFE, high-
ascending ramus [40]. The use of block grafts density PTFE, or titanium mesh [8].
seemed to yield more gain in ridge height and a e-PTFE is a synthetic polymer with a porous
greater reduction in the need of additional graft- structure, which does not induce immunologic
ing procedures than the use of granular grafts. reactions and resists enzymatic degradation by
However, the rate of dehiscence seemed to host tissues and microbes. Titanium-reinforced
increase with their use in comparison with hori- e-PTFE membranes increase their mechanical
zontal bone augmentation [40]. stability and allow the membranes to be shaped
[2]. However an increased rate of soft tissue com-
10.3.2.2 Treatment of Fenestrations plications after premature membrane exposure
and Dehiscences: Guided has been reported [2]. Once exposed to the oral
Bone Regeneration cavity, the porous surface of e-PTFE membranes
Autogenous and nonautogenous options are is soon colonized by bacteria, which can lead to
available. The source of autogenous particulate is infections and to the subsequent need for early
the same as the one that has been discussed for membrane removal. This could interfere with
block harvest. For small amounts of bone, local bone regeneration. Another disadvantage of
sites can be used, including the symphysis, e-PTFE membranes is the need for a second sur-
ramus, and maxillary tuberosity. They have the gery to remove the membrane [2] (Fig. 10.8).
advantage of a more rapid vascularization [42]. Bioabsorbable membranes can be classified
Nonautogenous bone substitutes, such as into natural or synthetic. Natural products are
ABBM, may be also a valid alternative to autog- made of various types of collagen of animal ori-
enous bone (particularly when harvested from gin, while synthetic ones are made of aliphatic
extraoral locations), since they are associated polyesters (polylactic and polyglycolic acid poly-
with less postoperative morbidity. They can also mers). The difference is their mode of resorption;
be used in combination with autogenous bone collagen products undergo enzymatic degrada-
[42, 43]. tion, whereas synthetic barriers are degraded by
The best documented augmentation protocols hydrolysis [8].
are anorganic bovine bone covered with a mem- The main advantage of resorbable membranes
brane, particulate autograft with or without a is that a second procedure to remove the mem-
resorbable membrane [40]. brane is not needed; thus, patient morbidity is
Jensen et al. [40] in their systematic review decreased. However, the difficulty of maintaining
found that the use of autogenous bone grafts, har- the barrier function for an appropriate length of
vested intraorally, resulted in a defect fill of time is considered a major disadvantage.
180 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
Depending on the material, the resorption pro- ness, space-making ability, and adequate clinical
cess and length can vary [2]. Also, because of a manageability [2].
lack of rigidity, in all but the smallest defects, Addition of bone graft material to the GBR
most of these bioabsorbable membranes must be technique increases the amount of achievable
used in combination with a graft material for vertical regeneration [8, 46].
space maintenance in bone augmentation appli-
cations [8].
Some studies suggested that the volume of 10.3.2.3 Lateral Sinus Floor
regenerated bone achieved was higher using non- Augmentation
resorbable membranes in comparison with
resorbable membranes [8], although this did not Histomorphometric Total Bone Volume
affect the outcome of the treatment and implant There are two systematic reviews that discussed
survival rates. the available scientific evidence regarding the
In one RCT, regarding the use of nonresorb- histomorphometric parameter of total bone
able membranes and resorbable membranes, the volume in maxillary sinuses augmented with
percentages of defect fill were 75.7 and 87 %; the different grafting materials [47, 48]. In the study
percentages of cases with complete defect fill by Handschel et al. [48], a meta-analysis has
were 75.5 and 75.4 %; the rates of membrane/ been performed for those studies that report sinus
graft dehiscences were 26.3 and 14.5 %; and the elevation with various grafting materials (autog-
implant survival rates were 92.9100 % (median enous bone, Bio-Oss + autogenous bone, Bio-
96.5 %) with nonresorbable membranes and Oss, and -TCP). The study has demonstrated
94100 % (median 95.4 %) with resorbable mem- the presence of significantly higher mineralized
branes [40]. bone during the early healing phase (the first 9
Products that are available to stabilize mem- months after surgery) for autogenous bone com-
branes include nonresorbable mini-screws and pared to various bone substitutes.
bioabsorbable tacks made from polylactic acid [8]. However, the differences in the total bone vol-
The choice of membrane will depend on the ume between grafts disappeared over time, and
required duration of membrane function for after 9 months, no statistically significant differ-
achieving the desired tissue regeneration (gener- ences were detected. Klijn et al. [47] have per-
ally 6 months) [8]. In general, the criteria required formed a meta-analysis of the total bone volume
to select appropriate barrier membranes for present in biopsies obtained from augmented
guided bone regeneration include biocompatibil- maxillary sinus with autogenous bone. The study
ity, integration by the host tissue, cell occlusive- indicated that the bone harvested from an
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 181
intraoral site would result in higher total bone iliac crest were used can be explained due to the
volume than the bone harvested from the iliac fact that most of the placed implants had a
crest [47]. machined surface [51, 52].
In the systematic review by Pjetursson et al., it The lateral and anterior wall of the maxillary
is suggested that maxillary sinuses grafted with sinus and maxillary tuberosity has also been
autogenous bone may receive dental implants employed as a donor site of autogenous bone but
earlier than sinuses grafted with bone substitute in particulate form [53]. The lateral wall of the
materials [49] (Fig. 10.9). maxillary sinus has also been used as a donor site
for onlay bone graft to gain alveolar width [54].
Complications The use of a mixture of a composite graft con-
Nkenke et al. demonstrated in their review that sisting of particulate and a bone substitute has
the partial or total graft loss related to the event of also been evaluated, showing an implant survival
sinusitis is independent of the grafting materials rate ranging from 84.2 to 100 %. In one system-
used [50]. For that, the use of bone substitutes atic review [40], allograft was added to autoge-
would not increase the risk of developing sinus- nous bone in four studies that completed the
itis and graft loss [14]. inclusion criteria. All these studies have reported
a 100 % survival rate up to 42 months. In another
Implant Survival nine studies, autograft was mixed with
Autogenous bone alone or autogenous bone DBBM. The implant survival rate ranged between
mixed with bone substitute materials are the most 89 and 100 % (median 94.3 %) with a follow-up
common grafting materials used for sinus floor of 1260 months after loading [40].
augmentation [40]. When comparing autogenous bone alone and
When autogenous bone block grafts from the bone substitute material mixed with autogenous
iliac crest are applied, the overall implant sur- bone, the meta-analysis results indicated the
vival rate has been reported from 61.2 to 94.4 % absence of statistically significant differences in
(median 84.9 %) after a period of function of up implant survival between the two groups [14].
to 102 months [40] (Table 10.1). The use of par- The meta-analysis showed trends toward a higher
ticulate autologous bone grafts resulted in a sur- implant survival when using bone substitute
vival rate with a range of 82.4100 % up to 52 materials compared to autogenous bone; how-
months of follow-up. ever, the difference was not statistically signifi-
Implants placed into sinuses elevated with cant [14].
particulate autografts have shown higher survival When DBBM alone was used for maxillary
rates than those placed in sinuses that had been sinus floor elevation, implant survival rates
augmented with block grafts [51, 52]. ranged from 85 to 100 % (median 95 %) [40].
The relatively lower implant survival rates When the xenograft was mixed with PRP/PRGF,
reported when autogenous bone blocks from the the results ranged from 90 to 96 %. When using
182 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
alloplastic materials after a period of function up Table 10.2 Implant survivals according to implant
to 134 months, the survival rate ranged from 81 surface
to 100 % (median 93 %) (Table 10.1). Implant Implant survivals
In different systematic reviews, it was reported survivals (all (excluding
that when only rough-surface implants were types of machined
Study [49, 51] implants) (%) implants) (%)
included, bone substitutes, a combination of
Autogenous 69.187.5 89.599.2
autogenous bone and bone substitutes, and autog- block alone
enous bone blocks all showed similar annual fail- Autogenous 82.4100 98.7100
ure rates [49, 51, 55] (Table 10.2). The lowest particulate
annual failure rate of rough-surface implants was Autogenous 84.2100 94.7100
observed using autogenous particulate bone graft combined with
bone substitute
(Table 10.2).
Only bone 82100 88.6100
When the overall machined implant survival substitute
rates were compared with rough-surface implant
survival rates, the results were lower for machined For lateral sinus floor augmentation, the fol-
than for rough-surface implants [40, 51, 52]. lowing grafting protocols may be considered
Consequently, the use of autogenous bone well documented: autogenous particulate alone
alone or in a combination with other bone substi- or in combination with either anorganic bovine
tutes would not affect implant survival. Klinge bone or DFDBA, anorganic bovine bone alone or
et al. in the consensus report on tissue augmenta- in combination with DFDBA, and an alloplastic
tion and aesthetics have indicated that the evi- HA alone [40].
dence neither supports nor refutes the superiority
of any specific graft material for sinus augmenta- Graft Stability
tion [56]. A Cochrane review has concluded that To overcome the inherent problem with resorp-
bone substitute materials may replace autografts tion of an autogenous bone graft, it was suggested
in this indication [43]. Furthermore, Nkenke that particulate autogenous bone in a mixture
et al. concluded that graft resorption seems not to with xenografts or alloplastic materials or bone
affect implant survival [50]. substitutes alone may reduce the risk of bone
184 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
resorption and sinus re-pneumatization [44, 57]. with ABBM, particles were found surrounded by
The slow resorption capacity of the bone substi- a new bone even 10 years after the grafting pro-
tute can minimize the amount of resorption [57]. cedure, still showing osteoclastic activity [24]
In one histological analysis of a sinus grafted (Figs. 10.10, 10.11, and 10.12).
Fig. 10.10 Cross section of a core sample with ABBM between the residual ABBM particles. (HE, 40)
and PRGF showing newly formed bone (nb) around par- (Reprinted from Pardias Lpez et al. [24]. Copyright
ticles of ABBM (b). Vital bone formation is apparent 2015, with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)
Fig. 10.11 High-power image showing immature, newly ABBM (b). (HE, 100) (Reprinted from Pardias Lpez
formed bone (nb) around particles of ABBM (b), along et al. [24]. Copyright 2015, with permission from
with osteoid (os). Note the osteocytes (ocy) inside the Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 185
Fig. 10.12 High-power view of vital bone formation (Reprinted from Pardias Lpez et al. [24]. Copyright
(nb) directly on the residual ABBM particles (b). Note the 2015, with permission from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)
presence of osteoclast (oc) around ABBM. (HE, 400)
In a systematic review, volume changes of The average volume reduction for allogeneic
maxillary sinus augmentation using different bone and for allogeneic bone + bovine mineral
bone substitutes were evaluated [58]. The study was 41 and 37 %, respectively [58, 60]. In one
has included only those studies that report on vol- randomized clinical trial, the volume reduction
ume changes using 3D imaging (like CT or after 6 months of sinus grafting with biphasic cal-
CBCT). The analysis has been performed for cium phosphate (BCP) was 15.2 % [58, 61]. The
only 12 articles that fulfill the inclusion criteria. study also found no significant effect on volume
Regarding autogenous bone, no statistically sig- preservation by adding autogenous bone in 1:1
nificant difference in average volume reduction ratio to BCP graft [58, 61].
was reported when comparing autogenous bone
in either particulate or block form. The weighted 10.3.2.4 Extraction Socket Preservation
average volume reduction was 48 23 %. There In the review by Horowitz et al. [62], it has been
was no statistically significant difference when concluded that although extraction socket
autogenous block from the iliac crest was com- grafting has consistently demonstrated to reduce
pared to allografts. A weighted average volume the alveolar ridge resorption, there is no superior-
reduction of 30.3 % was calculated for allografts. ity of one grafting material over the another. The
The use of bovine bone mineral showed a vol- biopsies of multiple studies that used mineralized
ume change of 1520 % suggesting better vol- grafting materials demonstrated the presence of
ume stability over time compared to autogenous 1727 % of vital bone following 36 months of
bone. The addition of particulate autogenous healing [62]. Nonmineralized products tend to
bone to bovine bone mineral in 70:30 and 80:20 demonstrate the presence of 2853 % of vital
resulted in volume reduction of 19 and 20 %, bone [62]. However, there is a negative effect on
respectively, with no significant differences when alveolar ridge preservation for the use of collagen
compared to bovine bone mineral alone [58, 59]. plug alone [63].
186 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
In one review [64], the freeze-dried bone growth factors (platelet concentrate) when com-
allograft performed best with a gain in height and bined with a bone graft for sinus augmentation.
concurrent loss in width of 1.2 mm. In one meta- Even more, those few studies have significant
analysis, the use of xenogeneic and allogeneic heterogeneity [75].
grafts has resulted in lesser height loss at the Regarding implant survival, the authors con-
middle of the buccal wall when compared with cluded that no evident benefit of the use of plate-
the use of alloplastic grafts [65]. However, let concentrates can be drawn from the included
another review [66] has indicated that the scien- studies [75]. However, there is a suggestion that
tific evidence did not provide clear guidelines in critical clinical conditions, the addition of
with regard to the type of biomaterials to use for plasma rich in growth factors could be beneficial
alveolar ridge preservation (Fig. 10.13). [75]. Regarding histomorphometric analysis of
biopsies obtained from grafted maxillary sinuses,
the review indicated the possible advantage of
10.3.3 The Use of Autologous using platelet-derived growth factors during the
Growth Factors and Bone early phases of healing (36 months) [75]. In a
Morphogenetic Proteins RCT, the addition of plasma rich in growth fac-
to Enhance the Regenerative tors (Endoret (PRGF)) could enhance the bone
Capacity of Bone Substitute formation supported by anorganic bovine bone
Materials with a slow healing dynamics [7577].
Titanium grids have been used alone or with a
The use of platelet-rich plasma would improve graft material for the correction of height/width
the handling and placement of particulate grafts of the alveolar ridge. In the review by Ricci et al.
providing stability and avoid the need for com- [78], it has been shown that titanium grid expo-
paction [27]. A positive effect on soft tissue heal- sure occurred in 22.78 % of patients. In a RCT,
ing has been observed in most of the studies that the effect of using plasma rich in growth factors
were included in a systematic review on the use (Endoret (PRGF)) on the outcomes of titanium
of platelet-rich plasma in extraction sockets [67]. mesh exposure has been evaluated [42]. While
A beneficial effect of plasma rich in growth 28.5 % of the cases in the control group suffered
factors on postoperative quality of life could be from mesh exposure, no exposures were regis-
evidence, as a consequence of the enhanced soft tered in the Endoret (PRGF) group. Radiographic
tissue healing [6771]. The use of plasma rich analysis revealed that bone augmentation was
in growth factors has also been reported to higher in the Endoret (PRGF) group than in the
reduce bleeding, edema, scarring, and pain lev- control group.
els [67, 7174]. In the systematic review by Del Overall, 97.3 % of implants placed in the con-
Fabbro et al. [75], few clinically controlled trol group and 100 % of those placed in the
studies are available on the effect of autologous Endoret (PRGF) group were successful during
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 187
2 years after placement [42]. The authors have A 1.50 mg/mL rhBMP-2/ACS has been com-
suggested that the positive effect of Endoret pared to autogenous graft for maxillary sinus
(PRGF) on the Ti-Mesh technique could be augmentation [82]. One hundred and sixty
related to its capacity to improve soft tissue heal- patients with less than 6 mm of residual bone
ing, thereby protecting the mesh and graft mate- height were treated. A significant amount of new
rial secured beneath the gingival tissues [42]. bone was formed after 6 months postoperatively
Plasma rich in growth factors employs fibrin in each group. At 6 months after dental restora-
scaffold and endogenous growth factors that tion, the induced bone in the rhBMP-2/ACS
orchestrate tissue healing to promote adequate group was significantly denser than that in the
tissue regeneration and to reduce tissue inflam- bone graft group [82]. No significant differences
mation [79, 80]. These growth factors promote were found histologically. The new bone was
cellular growth, proliferation, and migration [79, comparable to the native bone in terms of density
80] (Figs. 10.14 and 10.15). and structure in both groups. 201 over a total of
251 implants placed in the bone graft group and
199 over a total of 241 implants placed in the
10.3.4 Bone Morphogenetic Proteins rhBMP-2/ACS group were integrated and func-
(BMPs) tional 6 months after loading. No adverse events
were deemed related to the rhBMP-2/ACS treat-
In a systematic review on the effect of using ment. However, when rhBMP-2 has been added
rhBMP-2 in maxillary sinus floor augmentation, to Bio-Oss (anorganic bovine bone), less bone
only three human clinical articles were eligible formation has been observed [81, 83].
for analysis [81]. Two of these studies were ran- Moreover, no significant differences have
domized clinical trials and one was a prospective been found when comparing autogenous bone
study, evidencing the need for more randomized and rhBMP-2/ACS after 6 months postsurgery
clinical trials with a long-term follow-up to pro- (although initially higher bone gain was observed
vide evidence-based criteria for the use of only subcrestally in the rhBMP-2 group) [84]. In
rhBMP-2 for alveolar bone augmentation. The another clinical study, guided bone regeneration
review has indicated that a higher level of initial with xenogeneic bovine bone and collagen mem-
bone gain and density was observed for the group brane was performed with and without rhBMP-2
of autogenous bone than for the group of [85]. There were no significant differences
rhBMP-2 [81]. Furthermore, higher cell activity, between the groups after 3 and 5 years of evalua-
osteoid lines, and vascular richness have been tion [85]. In both groups, the implant survival and
observed in the rhBMP-2 groups [81]. periimplant tissue stability were not affected by
the use rhBMP-2 [85].
Fig. 10.14 PRGF mixed with ABBM Fig. 10.15 Membrane of activated PRGF
188 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
Fig. 10.16 3D image representing block graft harvested from the symphysis area (Copyright Dr. Pardias Lpez)
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 189
Fig. 10.19 Intraoral picture of the symphysis harvesting Fig. 10.22 Intraoral picture showing symphysis block
area grafts secured with screws in the posterior maxilla area
Extraoral
Distant site bone harvesting has been suggested
as an indication when a large graft is needed. The
iliac crest, calvarium, and tibia have been reported
as reliable sources of grafts and are the most
common extraoral harvest sites [113].
Ilium
The hip offers an area where large amounts of
bone can be harvested, but these grafts usually
have a thin cortical layer and a thick cancellous
part [114].
Fig. 10.26 Intraoral picture showing a ramus block graft
secured in place with a screw
However the main disadvantage is the morbid-
ity associated with bone graft harvest (Figs. 10.27,
10.28, and 10.29).
grafts are also good space maintainers during The most frequently reported complications
healing, preventing collapse and allowing the include temporary gait disturbance, paresthesia,
bone to form [90]. infections, hematoma/seroma, fracture, scaring,
Success of the grafting procedure has been and persistent pain [115117].
reported as 87.5 % [102], but the most relevant The reported complication incidence is higher
data is regarding implant success, which is the than with other donor sites, from 1 to 63.6 %,
194 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
Tibia
The tibia serves mainly as a source of cancellous
bone and a small quantity of cortical bone [113].
When cancellous bone is needed, the tibia is
Fig. 10.29 Iliac block graft Reprinted from Kademani one of the indicated harvest sites because it
and Keller [211]. Copyright (2006), with permission from
Elsevier)
provides an abundant amount of bone with a low
morbidity [123, 124].
Advantages include a low complication rate; a
and can be higher if postoperative pain/gait is large quantity of cancellous bone can be har-
considered. vested (1 2-cm block), and it is a technically
Pain/gait disturbances were reported from 2 to simple and quick surgical procedure [116]
97 % of the cases [44]. This variability is also (Figs. 10.30 and 10.31).
related with the personal resistance to pain, so it Although this procedure is relatively simple
is important to note that complications should and safe, it also presents some complications.
also be evaluated regarding patient feelings. A Reported complications include prolonged pain,
descriptive analysis of the visual analog scale gait disturbance, wound dehiscence, infection,
(VAS) demonstrated that 70 % of the patients scarring, hematoma, infection, paresthesia, and
reported more severe pain from the harvest site fracture, in a range of 1.45.5 % [116].
than oral pain, 20 % reported more intense oral
pain compared to hip pain, and 5 % reported that Calvarial
oral and hip pain were similar [116, 118]. Calvarial grafts are usually harvested from the
The advantages of the iliac crest as a donor parietal bone, which has an average thickness of
site are the simple accessibility and the potential 7.45 mm [125] (Fig. 10.32).
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 195
Large amounts of bone can be harvested from Fig. 10.31 Tibia harvesting site (Reprinted from Tiwana
the skull with the advantage that the operative et al. [212]. Copyright (2006), with permission from
Elsevier)
field is in proximity to the recipient site. The
main advantage is the presence of a dense corti-
cal structure that can better resist resorption [126]
(Fig. 10.33).
On the other hand, this procedure usually
requires general anesthesia in a hospital and
requires a close postoperative care. Also minor
and severe complications may occur, such as
trepanation of the inner table, hemorrhage, supe-
rior sagittal sinus laceration, brain injury, air
embolism, hematoma, infection, subgaleal
seroma, meningitis, depression of the skull,
altered sensation, and pain [127, 128].
Another point of interest is that the scar on the
scalp can be visible and can also lead to localized
alopecia [116].
Different studies reported a range of 057.7 %
of both major and minor complications. Among
which 0.44 % correspond to hematomas, 2 % to
dura mater exposures, 2.3 % to alopecia, and
012 % to neurosurgical complications [128, 129].
Also another study reported an 82.1 % of cases
in which skull depression could be observed
[129]. A reconstruction by means of biomaterials
is necessary to avoid this sequel.
These contrasts in complication rates may
reflect differences in study designs and popula- Fig. 10.32 Calvarial harvesting site (Reprinted from
tions, harvesting techniques, and levels of surgi- Ruiz et al. [213]. Copyright (2005), with permission from
cal skill [128]. Elsevier)
A close neurologic monitoring is required
during the first 24 h postoperatively [129], and a Regarding graft resorption, most of the stud-
mean of 5.1 days of hospital stay is reported in ies showed less resorption of calvarial grafts
the literature [128]. when compared to other donor sites. Two studies
196 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
Implant Placement
Implants placed in regenerated autogenous block
grafts are predictable operations that have shown
high survival and success rates [92].
Implant survival and periimplant bone levels
have shown no significant differences between
implants placed in block-grafted areas and
implants placed in nongrafted native bone [133].
Implant survival and success rates have been
reported in the literature in a mean range from
76.8 to 100 % for autogenous onlay bone grafts
[44], although the majority of articles reported
survival rates of more than 90 %.
Regarding the harvesting site, the least implant
survival rates occurred in patients reconstructed
with iliac grafts, followed by implants placed in
calvarial grafts, and lastly for implants placed in
areas grafted with intraoral grafts (Table 10.5).
Data were more insufficient in terms of suc-
cess rates of implants according to well-defined
criteria [96]. Also, a less number of implants
Fig. 10.33 Calvarial block grafts (Reprinted from Ruiz were analyzed for success rates in comparison to
et al. [213]. Copyright (2005), with permission from Elsevier)
the number of implants analyzed for survival
rates.
compared the resorption of calvarial grafts, Regarding intraoral harvesting sites, with no
ramus grafts, and iliac grafts. The resorption for statistically significant differences between the
calvarial grafts ranged from 0.18 mm 0.33 to ramus and symphysis, reported survival rates
0.28 mm at the time of implant placement [122, ranged from 92.3 to 100 %, while success rates
130], while at a mean follow-up of 19 months ranged from 89.5 to 100 %. Implant survival rates
was 0.41 mm 0.67 mm [130]. Regarding ramus placed in grafted areas with iliac bone grafts
block grafts, the resorption was 0.42 0.39 mm range from 60 to 100 %, and implant success
[130] and 0.35 mm (range of 01.25 mm) [122] rates vary from 72.8 to 95.6 % (Table 10.5).
at the time of implant placement and at a mean Implant survival rates placed in grafted areas
follow-up of 19 months was 0.52 0.45 mm with calvarial bone grafts range from 86 to 100 %
(range 01.75 mm) [130]. In the case of iliac and success rates range from 90.3 to 97.6 %
grafts, the resorption was 0.85 mm (range of (Table 10.5).
04.5 mm) at the time of implant placement Survival rates of implants placed in grafted
[122]. mandibles are reported to be better than in graft-
Some studies reported resorption rates of cal- ing maxillae (Table 10.6).
varial grafts ranging from 0 to 15 % of the initial
graft height at a mean follow-up of 19.3 months Time of Implant Placement
(range 642 months) [44, 131]. However other Many different characteristics and situations can
authors reported that although at 10 months fol- influence the osseointegration of implants, such
low-up calvarial bone had significantly less as waiting times for implant placement and
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 197
Table 10.5 Implant success and survivals when placed in grafted areas with autogenous bone
Time (months after
Autogenous Study Implant success (%) Implant survival (%) prosthetic load)
Ramus [44] CIR 95a 97.1 (93100)
[133] PS 89.5 100 38
[111] SR 93.5 100 33
[96]a SR 91.993 94.5 690
Symphysis [44] CIR 90.7100 97.1 (92.3100)
[111] SR 95.5 23.3
[96]a SR 90.7100 94.5 (92.3100)
Iliac [131, 202] LTR 73.8 12120
[111] SR 76.4 93,1 33 ISuccess/60 ISurvival
[194] SR 88 1272
a
[96] SR 8395.6 82.5 (60100) 690
[55] PS 72.883.1 72.883.1 120
[121] PCT 86.9 100 1322
[202] RS 83.1 91 120
Calvarial [44]a CIR 90.797.6 94.9 (86100)
[96]a SR 90.797.6 94 (86100) 690
[111] SR 90.3 99 33
CIR clinical investigation review, PS prospective study, PCT prospective controlled trial, SR systematic review, LTR
long-term review
a
Success rates only one-fourth of the total number of implants placed in the grafted jaws. Data were more insufficient
in terms of success rates of implants according to well-defined criteria
Table 10.6 Implant survivals and success when placed in grafted areas with autogenous bone
Immediate Delayed Implant Implant Periimplant
implant implant success survival Time bone loss
Study placement placement Graft (%) (%) (months) Area (mm)
[44] CIR X Autogenous block 79.3 (range 6120 Maxilla
72.892.3)
[44] CIR x Autogenous block 93.4 (range 80100) 6120 Maxilla
[44] CIR X Autogenous block 92.7 (88.2100) 6120 Mandible
[44] CIR x Autogenous block 100 6120 Mandible
[108] SR x Intraoral autogenous block 96.9100 96.9100 1224 Horizontal augmentation 0.08 0.9 to
0.20 0.50
[108] SR X Intraoral autogenous block 89.9 12 Horizontal augmentation 0.69 0.67
[108] SR x Intraoral autogenous block 89.591 95.6100 1238 Vertical augmentation
[96] SR X Autogenous block 81.8 (range 6240 Maxilla
72.892.3).
[96] SR x Autogenous block 89.9 (range 80100). 6240 Maxilla
[96] SR X 83100 91.1 (88.2100) 6240 Mandible
(median 89),
[96] SR x 83100 100 6240 Mandible
(median 89),
[96] SR x Onlay iliac 95.6 12
[96] SR x Onlay calvarial 100 1236
[203] RS x Intraoral autogenous 89.5 100 12 (0.69 0.67)
[203] RS x Intraoral autogenous 96.9 96.9 12 0.20 0.50
[202] RS Intraoral autogenous 88 60 03.3
[40] SR Intraoral autogenous block 96.9100 1260 Horizontal
[40] SR Intraoral autogenous block 96.998 2224 Vertical
[120] SR x Iliac 88.2 48 Mandible
[120] SR x Iliac 72.8 120
[120] SR x Iliac 83 Maxilla
CIR clinical investigation review, SR systematic review, RS retrospective study
S. Pardias Lpez et al.
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 199
are reduced as well as morbidity, and mainly The hip offers an area where large amounts
cortical bone can be harvested. of bone can be harvested, but it usually has a
Main disadvantages of bone harvesting from thin cortical layer and a thick cancellous part
extraoral areas include morbidity and hospital- which is prone to more resorption. Initial
ization for general anesthesia and requires a resorption rates appear to be more significant
longer surgical procedure [109, 137]. Studies in comparison with intraoral grafts. Also
have reported that the most frequent complaints resorption is more pronounced in the maxilla
of bone harvesting from the iliac crest were the than in the mandible.
temporary pain/gait disturbance [96]. Long- Large amounts of bone can be harvested
standing pain/gait disturbances were reported from the skull with the advantage that the
from 2 to 97 % in the literature. The surgical operative field is in proximity to the recipient
morbidity when calvarium was used was site and that presents a dense cortical structure
reported to be lower, from 0 to 57.7 %, although that can better resist resorption. It has been
one study reported an 86 % of cases presenting reported that calvarial grafts show less initial
skull depression (Table 10.7). resorption when compared to other donor
Promotion of new bone formation: sites; however, at long-term follow-up, differ-
One meta-analysis was performed in relation ences may not be significant [122]. Extraoral
to the total bone volume present in biopsies resorption rates of 015 % in calvarial grafts
obtained from augmented maxillary sinus and up to 60 % in iliac bone grafts after the
with autogenous bone [47]. The study indi- prostheses connection were documented with
cated that bone harvested from an intraoral the use of extraoral autogenous block grafts
site would result in higher total bone volume [8, 126, 142].
than the bone graft from the iliac crest [47]. These data would indicate the importance
Different studies reported that the mean of taking measures to compensate the loss in
gain at the time of implant placement (46 graft volume. Overaugmentation and the use
months after grafting) ranges from 2.2 to 7 mm of bone substitutes could be useful tools to
for intraoral autogenous grafts (Table 10.3). compensate graft remodeling [99].
Stability of augmented bone: Also, the use of membranes has shown less
The embryonic origin is different between the bone resorption in comparison to cases when a
extraoral harvested bone (endochondral ossifi- membrane was not used.
cation) and the alveolar bone (intramembra- Healing:
nous ossification) [138, 139]. This is a factor If a bone block is needed, then it is highly rec-
that could influence the success of bone aug- ommended to use corticocancellous bone
mentation surgery as intramembranous bone blocks [96]. Cancellous bone alone and par-
graft seems to maintain better its volume, ticulate bone, if not associated with titanium
whereas endochondral bone graft undergoes a mesh membranes or titanium-reinforced
variable degree of resorption over a variable membranes, do not provide sufficient rigidity
period of time [94, 140, 141]. to withstand tensions from the overlying soft
Symphysis grafts have a corticocancellous tissues or from the compression by provi-
nature, which provides faster angiogenesis, sional removable dentures and may undergo
achieving a more rapid integration and less almost complete resorption [86, 96]. Wound
potential resorption during healing, while the dehiscence and/or infection is related to par-
ramus has almost all cortical nature which tial or total loss of the graft.
exhibits less volume loss and maintains its vol- Uneventful healing/consolidation of both
ume significantly better than cancellous bone. intraoral and extraoral grafts could be expected
Intraoral block graft resorption ranges from [96]. One systematic review reported that
0 to 42.5 %, and vertical augmentation appears wound dehiscence/infection occurred in 3.3 %
to show higher resorption rates than horizontal of the cases of alveolar ridge augmentation,
augmentations. while total graft loss occurred in 1.4 % of the
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 201
cases, the majority being related to extensive exposure appear to be the most common compli-
reconstruction with iliac grafts [96]. cations [143145]. Sites yielded an average of
Regarding the harvesting area, the least 23.5-mm vertical gain and an average horizontal
implant survival and success rates occurred in gain of 3.924.79 mm [143, 144].
patients reconstructed with iliac grafts, fol- In one study, only one of the 57 allogenic block
lowed by implants placed in calvarial grafts, grafts presented a resorption of 2.5 mm; none was
and lastly for implants placed in intraoral observed in the others after 34 months after
grafts. Also implant survival rates placed in grafting. They remained stable after implant
grafted mandibles are reported to be better placement during the 26 months of follow-up
than in grafting maxillae (Table 10.6). [146].
The level of evidence for implant survival In another study, allogeneic block graft resorp-
and success is better for the delayed implant tion ranged from 10 10 % to 52 25.97 % at 6
placement and may be preferable to simulta- months after grafting [144].
neous placement, although much controversy The studies examined reported evidence that
still exists. successful alveolar ridge augmentation using
allogeneic onlay grafts has a high (92.899 %)
Allogeneic short-term (less than 5 years) implant success
Although for many clinicians, autogenous bone rates [143, 144]. Success rates in a range of 86.9
grafts (as block or particulate form) still remain 90.0 % have also been reported in another study
the gold standard for ridge augmentation, donor [111].
site morbidity associated with block graft har- The use of allogeneic bone block grafts repre-
vesting has changed directions to the use of allo- sents a reliable alternative to autogenous block
genic materials. grafts for augmenting the atrophic maxilla.
Different studies demonstrated success with Furthermore, implants placed in areas grafted
FDBA and DFDBA block graft material in hori- with allogeneic blocks can achieve similar
zontal ridge augmentation procedures [8]. implant survival rates as implants placed in areas
The behavior of an allograft depends not only grafted with autogenous block grafts. However,
on the harvested bone but also on the method in these conclusions should be interpreted with cau-
which the harvested bone is prepared and also on tion due to the limitation of studies [144].
the quality of the source.
Allograft bone grafts have the advantage of 10.4.1.2 Particulate Graft: Guided
permitting the selection of blocks with a pre- Bone Regeneration
defined configuration and corticocancellous The concept of guided bone regeneration (GBR)
composition [143]. Also, morbidity discomfort was first described in 1959 when cell-occlusive
and operation time are reduced [144]. membranes were employed for spinal fusions
Clinical evidence for allogeneic block graft- [147]. This principle is based on that cells which
ing is mainly limited to case series and reports, first populate a wound area determine the type of
and many different aspects have to be taken into tissue that ultimately occupies the original space.
account like defect selection, treatment This technique is used for space maintenance
approaches, and follow-up period. Also many of over a vertical or horizontal defect, enabling the
the analyzed cases focused on anterior graft sites ingrowth of osteogenic cells and preventing
having little information in posterior alveolar migration of undesired cells coming from the soft
ridge augmentation. tissue. Therefore, osteogenesis can occur without
In terms of block graft failure rates, a range of the interference of other competing types of tis-
28.5 % was reported in one case series and a sue cells [148150] (Fig. 10.34).
systematic review [144, 145]. Different space maintainers have been
Graft failures most often involved mandibular described, such as particulate grafts, block grafts,
posterior defects (71 %), and as with autogenous resorbable and nonresorbable membranes, and
onlay, graft wound dehiscence and membrane screws, among others.
202 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
Implant Survival/Success
It has been documented that guided bone regen- Studies reported implant survival rates in a
eration is a successful method for augmenting the range of 76.8100 %, while success rates ranged
bone in situations where there is inadequate bone from 61.5 to 100 % in a period of 6133 months.
volume for the placement of endosseous dental Most of them showed survival/success rates
implants [151, 152]. higher than 90 %, which is comparable to
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 203
Fig. 10.39 3D image representing the alveolar split technique (Copyright Dr. Pardias Lpez)
the device, patients cannot wear any removable tor [112]. Other disadvantages include the need
provisional prostheses for 2 months [133]. A sec- for daily activation, compromised speech, eating,
ond surgery is also needed to remove the distrac- and appearance.
Smaller ridge defects of one or two teeth in
width were associated with higher rates of com-
plications in different studies when treated with
the distraction technique; for this reason, it is rec-
ommended for an edentulous ridge span of at
least three missing teeth [8, 169].
Complications include fracture of the move-
able segment, increase in patient discomfort dur-
ing activation of the device, damage to basal bone
(2.7 %), incorrect direction of the distraction
leading to excessive bone on the lingual aspect
(8.335.4 %), resorption of the moveable seg-
Fig. 10.45 Intraoral picture showing the intraoral device ment (7.7 %), inadequate bone formation (2,
placed in the anterior maxilla and the soft tissue covering 2 %), fracture of the distraction device (1.6 %),
it (Courtesy of Dr. Cristina Garcas) and transient paresthesia in the innervation area
of the mandibular nerve (1.6 %). Total failure of
the procedure was reported in only 1.1 % of the
cases [96, 112, 165].
Histologic results seem to demonstrate that
distraction osteogenesis allows formation of ade-
quate quality and quantity of bone tissue, which
can provide primary stability of implants and
favorably withstand the biomechanical demands
of loaded implants.
Survival and success rates of implants placed
in distracted areas are consistent with those
reported in the literature for implants placed in
Fig. 10.46 Intraoral picture showing the distraction fol- native intact bone [96].
lowing after the distractor device was removed. Particulate The majority of authors reported some relapse
graft was placed over the defect to augment the ridge hori-
zontally (Courtesy of Dr. Cristina Garcas) of initial bone gain before implant placement,
due to marginal bone loss of the most coronal Also more implants were lost when placed at the
part of the distracted segment. Therefore, an same time of the osteotomy (6.96 %) than when
overcorrection was suggested. However, crestal placed in two stages (4.62 %) [96]. Few publica-
bone changes around implants after the start of tions reported implant success rates according to
prosthetic loading seem to be similar to those well-defined criteria in a range of 82.991 %
occurring in cases of implants placed in native [96]. Implant survival rates, although lower, can
nonreconstructed bones [96]. be compared with those of implants placed in
native maxillary bone.
None of the publications reviewed proposed
10.4.4 Interpositional Bone Grafts: immediate loading of implants placed in the
LeFort I Osteotomy and Inlay reconstructed maxillae [96].
Bone Grafts The analysis of the available publications
demonstrated an average poor methodological
Interpositional bone grafts (also known as sand- quality with regard to the completeness of fol-
wich grafts) are mainly performed for recon- low-up and success criteria of implants. Despite
structing vertical defects. The osteotomized bone these limits, some conclusions can be drawn.
segment is secured in its final position. LeFort I osteotomy in association with inter-
Big differences exist between augmenting the positional bone grafts and immediate or delayed
mandible or maxilla with interpositional grafts implant placement is a reliable and demanding
(inlay) and performing a LeFort I osteotomy in procedure that should be limited to severe maxil-
the maxilla. lary atrophy cases which are associated with an
unfavorable intermaxillary relationship. In these
10.4.4.1 LeFort I cases, onlay grafting, although it could create an
The overall complication rate of this surgical pro- adequate scenario for implant placement, may
cedure was reported to be 3.1 % (range of not be enough to achieve a correct intermaxillary
010 %). The most common complications relationship [44, 57, 96] (Figs. 10.48 and 10.49).
include wound dehiscences (34 %), postopera-
tive sinusitis (3 %), partial graft loss (3 %), and 10.4.4.2 Inlay
midpalatal fracture (2 %) [96]. When compared with the onlay technique, the
Reported success rates of the grafting proce- inlay technique is associated with lower bone
dure range from 95.8 to 99.5 % [96]. resorption values (10.214.2 % at 4 months post-
Different studies reported implant survival surgery) [121] and produces more predictable
rates in a range from 60 to 96.1 % (Table 10.11). outcomes, but requires an experienced surgeon.
210 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
However, once implant placement is performed, For inlay grafting in the mandible, the overall
the outcomes are similar for both graft proce- survival rate of implants ranged from 90 to 95 %,
dures (Fig. 10.50) (Table 10.12). while the success rate of implants (95 %) was
The most common reported complications reported only in one article [44].
include dehiscences (1020 %) and neural distur- The inlay technique provides superior bone
bances in cases of posterior mandible. Up to 40 % graft incorporation than the onlay method by
of the patients reported altered sensation in the assuring blood supply by the cranially displaced
lip during the first weeks after surgery [121]. segment [121] (Fig. 10.51).
Fig. 10.49 Intraoral picture showing a LeFort I osteot- Fig. 10.51 3D image representing a vertical osteotomy
omy with inlay particulate graft placed (Reprinted from with an inlay particulate graft secured in placed by mean
van der Mark et al. [215]. Copyright (2011), with permis- of titanium plates and immediate implant placement
sion from Elsevier) (Copyright Dr. Pardias Lpez)
Fig. 10.55 Intraoral picture showing the lateral wall Fig. 10.58 Intraoral picture showing the lateral wall
osteotomy without the lateral bone block. Branches of the osteotomy with ABBM particle graft
posterior superior alveolar artery can be observed in con-
tact to the Schneiderian membrane
Fig. 10.63 Intraoral picture of a grafted sinus through a Advantages, Disadvantages, and
lateral wall approach with an immediate implant placed Complications
Although the sinus augmentation surgery is a
predictable treatment, it also carries some risks.
Complications include infection, bleeding,
cyst formation, membrane perforations, ridge
resorption, sinusitis, and wound dehiscence,
among others [8].
The most frequent reported intraoperative
complication is Schneiderian membrane perfora-
tion, which is reported to be in a range of 4.8
Fig. 10.64 3D image representing a grafted maxillary
sinus and a resorbable membrane that is going to be 58 % (Table 10.13) (Fig. 10.66).
placed over the lateral wall osteotomy (Copyright Dr. Controversy exists regarding the implant
Pardias Lpez) success rate and perforation of the Schneiderian
membrane. Some studies suggest a lower suc-
use of a resorbable membrane over the lateral cess rate (70 % perforated vs. 100 % nonperfo-
window would have a positive or negative rated) when the membrane is perforated (and
effect on the amount of total bone volume [47] repaired) [178, 179]. However, other studies
(Fig. 10.65). show no statistically significant differences in
10 Pre-Implant Reconstructive Surgery 215
10.4.5.2 Transalveolar
Implant survival rates are reported in a range
Fig. 10.68 Intraoral picture of a lateral wall osteotomy
using a piezoelectric unit from 83 to 100 % with the majority of articles
reporting values higher than 92 % (Table 10.1),
while success rates are reported to be 93.597.8 %
implant survival in the nonperforated versus per- after a mean of 36 months after prosthetic load-
forated sinus [180182]. ing (range 693 months) (Table 10.1) (Fig. 10.70).
When a piezoelectric surgical device is used, The survival rate of implants placed in conjunc-
the incidence of perforation is reported to be tion with the augmentation procedure is reported
lower, 3.617.5 % [183185] (Figs. 10.67, 10.68, to show no statistical differences in comparison to
and 10.69). implants placed in a staged approach [44].
Another important intraoperative complica- Also the available data did not demonstrate
tion that can occur is an excessive bleeding due significant differences in survival rates of implants
to the trauma to the intraosseous branches of according to different grafting materials [44].
216 S. Pardias Lpez et al.
Fig. 10.73 Intraoral picture showing a socket preserva- Fig. 10.75 Intraoral picture showing a socket preserva-
tion technique using particulate allograft and a nonresorb- tion technique using particulate allograft and a nonresorb-
able membrane able membrane
Conclusion table (only including systematic reviews, retrospective studies, prospective studies, randomized
studies, and meta-analysis)
Bone gain (mm)
Implant survival Implant (at 6 months in
Type of treatment rate mean/range success ratea autogenous) Graft resorption Complications (%)
Autogenous onlay 91.5 (60100) 90.3 ---------------------- 060 % 24+
bone graft 97.9 (93100) (72.8100)a ---------------------- 042 % 10.6 (037.5)
Ramus 95.8 (92.3100) 92.5 Horizontal and 042 % 32 (1080)
Chin 85.5 (60100) (89.595) vertical 4.4 1260 % 21.8 (163.6)b
Iliac 95.9 (86100) 95.4 ---------------------- 015 % 16.2 (057.7)c
Calvarial (90.7100) ----------------------
83 ----------------------
(72.895.6) ----------------------
93.3
(90.397.6)a
Allograft block 92.899 86.990.0 23.5 vertical 10 10 % to 28.5
3.924.79 52 25.97 %
horizontal (6 months)
Guided bone 93.7 (76.8100) 87.5 5.12 (27) 1.82 mm Up to 50 exposure
regeneration (61.5100) (0.32.9 mm)
Alveolar split 96 (86100) 92.3 3.54.03 0.35 to 4.7 mm Up to 22
(86.297.5)
Distraction 96.4 (88100) 93.5 7.9 (215) 1.3 mm (4 years) 1.635.4
osteogenesis (9094.7)
LeFort I 89 (6096.1) 82.991 3.1 (010)
Inlay 95 (90100) 9095 4.1 (2.76.3) 1015 % 1040d
Sinus lift 92.6 (52.5100)e 92.4 4.558 (perforation)
(74.7100) 027 (others)
Socket preservation 96.2 (90.3100) 95.2100 0.6 mm (4.76
to +1.30 vertical)
+0.39 mm (3.48
to +3.27)
horizontal
These percentages should be evaluated with caution because some publications in which different donor sites were used
did not separate implant failures according to donor site distribution. Also these percentages represent a mean of the
data extracted from the studies reviewed
a
Limited number compared with survivals
b
Mean 35 % including pain (up to >90 % if pain persisting more than 1 month is included)
c
Up to 86 % if skull depression is considered. No differences between materials, mandible or maxilla, and membrane/
no membrane. Big ranging on follow-up from minimum of 6 months
d
Up to 40 % in cases of posterior mandible neural disturbances
e
No difference between graft type, implant surface, lateral, or osteotome technique
available bone substitutes have not been extreme atrophy or severe intermaxillary dis-
assessed. The clinician should be critical and crepancy not susceptible to be treated with
evaluate the available studies in the scientific lit- onlay grafts [44].
erature regarding the effectiveness of the product In conclusion, the clinician should have the
that he/she would use. Doing that, the clinician enough knowledge and evidence-based data in
should ask for randomized clinical trials. order to choose the most appropriate technique
Oversized grafts should be harvested to and materials. The practitioner should also
maintain enough graft volume after the initial have the capacity to analyze the patient needs
resorption phase. If autogenous bone grafts are and expectations and be aware of his/her skill
used, it is highly suggested to use corticocan- limitations, being able to develop a compre-
cellous bone blocks. Cancellous bone alone or hensive treatment plan in order to provide the
particulate bone, if not associated with mem- patient with the most proper solution.
branes of titanium meshes, does not provide
sufficient rigidity to withstand tension from the
overlying soft tissues or from the compression References
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cult to reconstruct due to soft tissue collapse over Restorative Dent. 23(4), 313323 (2003)
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implants may be a feasible option [108, 113]. mentation by means of guided bone regeneration.
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Although autogenous bone has been con- 3. T.F. Flemmig, T. Beikler, Decision making in implant
sidered the gold standard in the past, more dentistry: an evidence-based and decision-analysis
recent studies have shown that vertical and approach. Periodontol. 2000 50, 154172 (2009)
horizontal augmentation can be successfully 4. T. Albrektsson, G. Zarb, P. Worthington, A.R. Eriksson,
The long-term efficacy of currently used dental
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Peri-implantitis
11
Oreste Iocca and Giuseppe Bianco
Abstract
Peri-implant inflammatory conditions are not unfrequent in the implant
population. Clinicians should be aware of the definition and diagnostic
criteria of mucositis and peri-implantitis in order to adopt prompt inter-
ventions in order to save the implant.
The etiology of peri-implant diseases has many aspects in common
with periodontitis, although some etiologic aspects are peculiar to the first
one. Microbiological factors, inflammation, smoking, diabetes, and
genetic factors are all considered risk factors for the development of
mucositis and peri-implantitis.
The term cement-related peri-implant disease has been coined by some
authors, referring to the peri-implant pathology arising around cement-
retained implant restorations. It is possible that cement remnants have a
role in the incidence of many cases of peri-implantitis.
Diagnosis of mucositis and peri-implantitis relies on clinical and radio-
logical signs.
The management of mucositis is always nonsurgical. The treatment of
peri-implantitis can involve nonsurgical or surgical options. Comparison
of various treatment modalities is not easy mainly due to the lack of direct
treatment comparisons. The use of network meta-analysis as a statistical
tool for indirect treatment comparison may help to understand which are
the best treatments available.
b c
Fig. 11.1 (ac) Peri-implantitis affecting the mandibular implants, implant removal is necessary in this case. Calculus
is evident around the implants and prosthesis
a b c
Fig. 11.2 Bacteria proliferating on a contaminated implant surface at various degree of magnification (ac) (Reproduced
with permission from Mouhyi et al.)
Staphylococcus aureus has been suggested to IL-1 and IL-1 isoforms have been strongly
have particular affinity for titanium and was associated with osteoclast activation and downreg-
frequently found in deep peri-implant pockets, ulation of type 1 collagen in bone, thus contributing
together with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and to the characteristic bone resorption of concla-
Bacteroides spp. mated peri-implantitis. Immunohistochemical
de Waal et al. [7] reviewed the reporting of the studies have evidenced an increased staining of
microbiota around implants in fully and partially IL-1 in peri-implantitis tissue specimens, whereas
edentulous patients in order to find any difference in periodontitis, TNF- was more prevalent.
between the two conditions. In the majority of Different cell types are involved in the inflam-
the analyzed studies, it was found that in par- matory reaction; dendritic cells play an important
tially edentulous patients, a potentially more role in recognition of the resident flora and mod-
pathogenic peri-implant microflora was harbored eration in the mounting of the immune response.
compared to the fully edentulous. This is When dendritic cell homeostasis is disrupted,
reasonable if we consider that some bacterial they present the antigens to B and T cells. In
species found their ideal habitat only around a addition to dendritic cells, macrophages and
tooth. B-lymphocytes perform important antigen-
In both fully and partially dentate patients, it presenting function which can sustain T-cell acti-
was found that AA, Pg, and Tf were detected vation and further production of cytokines.
much more frequently around implants affected Different classes of T cells are involved in
by peri-implantitis. peri-implant inflammation, CD4+ or T-helper,
The potential of using specific bacterial mark- CD8+ or cytotoxic T cells, regulatory T cell, and
ers as a tool in evaluating the prognosis of peri- ; each one has some specific and some overlap-
implantitis remains controversial. Firstly, because ping function. Moreover, natural killer (NK)
the presence of the putative periodontal patho- cells, macrophages, and neutrophils play an
gens is considered to be an eliciting factor in important role in tissue destruction.
peri-implantitis pathogenesis, but it is not the As the inflammation is not properly regulated
only factor. In consequence, the detection of in periodontitis and peri-implantitis, the tissue
these bacteria, by itself, cannot indicate the future destruction phase is mediated mainly by neutro-
loss or failure of dental implants. Various sam- phils and macrophages. Metalloproteinases are
pling and analysis methods are available (PCR, collagenases that have the physiological function
culture, DNA, and RNA analysis), but it is not of creating space for cells directed to the site of
clear which one may have a role in clinical insult. But when inflammation does not resolve,
practice. these molecules will end to pathologically
destroy the peri-implant tissues. Bone cells are
11.1.2.2 Inammation then involved in this phase, in particular osteo-
Host response is considered another key element clasts and osteoblasts. RANK-ligand, a member
in the pathogenesis of peri-implant disease. The of the TNF superfamily produced by the osteo-
inflammatory reaction elicited by the biofilm has blasts, binds to osteoprotegerin (OPG) on the sur-
been studied in many animal and human studies. face of the osteoclasts which are in this way
The major way by which the immune system activated and start the bone resorption process.
reacts to microbial pathogens is with the accumu- Complex interconnection between all these
lation of leukocytes, plasma proteins, and fluid factors are in play during the course of peri-
from the vascular tissue [8]. implantitis, and the role of each one is a matter of
Cytokines are key molecules in the orchestra- research [9]. What is clear is that in susceptible
tion and clinical manifestations of inflammation. individuals, excessive cytokines and metallopro-
The major pro-inflammatory cytokines are tumor teinases lead to a damage extended to soft and
necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1 (IL-1), and hard tissues. Failure of resolving the inflamma-
interleukin-6 (IL-6). tory response is characterized by a chronicization
11 Peri-implantitis 233
Table 11.1 Meta-analysis evaluating the inflammatory profile of healthy subjects, mucositis, and peri-implantitis
Effect size MD
Groups of in pg/ml (95 % Statistically
Studies included comparison CI) Increased in significant
Faot et al. Cross-sectional and
(2015) interventional studies
Subgroup 1 Healthy versus 278.79 Mucositis YES (P value
mucositis IL-1 (99.52458.06) 0.002)
release
Subgroup 2 Mucositis versus 27.76 Mucositis NO
peri-implantitis (247.86 to (P value 0.80)
IL-1 release 192.23)
Subgroup 3 Healthy versus 175.83 Peri-implantitis YES (P value
peri-implantitis (70.33281.33) 0.001)
IL-1 release
Subgroup 4 Healthy versus 61.60 Peri-implantitis YES (p value
peri-implantitis (8.66114.55) 0.02)
TNF- release
234 O. Iocca and G. Bianco
In conclusion, raised levels of specific cyto- Beyond the molecular and microbiological
kines in the PICF of implant patients can be evidence, when clinical studies are evaluated,
employed as a diagnostic tool for early detection/ controversial results emerge. Some studies seem
follow-up of peri-implantitis patients. Before to show a correlation between smoking habits,
incorporating these techniques in everyday clini- and others fail to do so.
cal practice, it should be important to standardize In the review of Renvert and Quirynen [14],
the methods of collection and analysis of the cre- only two out of five prospective clinical trials
vicular fluid samples, and more long-term studies included in the analysis revealed a statistically
should elucidate the real impact on the prognosis significant difference between smokers and non-
of the implants undergoing these tests. smokers. For this reason, the authors concluded
that the available information on the risk of
11.1.2.3 Smoking smoking associated with peri-implantitis devel-
Smoking of cigarettes is an established risk factor opment, albeit plausible, needs further research
for the development of periodontitis, and it is to be demonstrated.
totally reasonable that the same is valid for peri- A meta-analysis [15] tried to clarify this point
implantitis. However, it is still not established if a analyzing prospective studies. Patient-based
true correlation exists between peri-implantitis analysis did not show a significant difference
and smoking habits. between the smokers and nonsmokers. On the
It has been shown [12] that smoking reduces other hand, the implant-based analysis evidenced
significantly the diversity of peri-implant micro- a higher risk of peri-implantitis for smokers.
biome, leading to a shift toward a preponderant These results may be explained by the fact that a
presence of microbes traditionally considered small number of studies were included and the
pathogenic. study did not allow to reach enough statistical
This narrowed microbiome becomes further power for patient-based evaluation. In light of
reduced when mucositis is triggered; at this time, these limitations, the authors did not arrive at
loss of several species is evident and just few, definitive conclusions, and no clinical recom-
pathological, microorganisms survive in this mendations could be extrapolated.
altered niche. In conclusion, in vitro studies seem to show
In smokers, the depletion of the so-called that smoking may be a risk factor for the develop-
core microbiome (the population of bacteria ment of peri-implantitis in the implant popula-
present in most of the study population) is evi- tion, especially for the stimulus in the production
dent already in the healthy state; this can be con- of inflammatory molecules and for the narrowing
sidered an additional risk factor in respect to of the core microbiome.
nonsmokers. On the other hand, clinical studies show con-
Smoking has also been found to impair the troversial results in this regard. And although
normal immune response, resulting in elevated smoking should be discouraged for every implant
white blood cells and granulocyte count which patient, evidence-based information does not
may contribute to triggering or aggravating the allow to draw strong conclusions on this topic.
peri-implantitis. Cigarette smoke has also been
associated with an upregulation of the receptor 11.1.2.4 Genetics
for the advanced glycation end products (RAGE) Given the importance of cytokines in develop-
whose interaction with its ligands elicits a strong ment of peri-implantitis, polymorphism of the
inflammatory reaction. genes that control the production of these mole-
Nicotine, in particular, has been found to stim- cules has been investigated as potential risk fac-
ulate the production of IL-6 and IL-8, negatively tors. It is possible that the host genetic
regulate the expression of the extracellular matrix susceptibility may be related to increased inci-
and osteoblastic transcription factor genes, and dence of peri-implantitis in some individuals.
inhibit the epithelial cell growth [13]. From a clinical perspective, genetic tests may
11 Peri-implantitis 235
term cement-related peri-implant disease [20]. Wilson et coll. [22] analyzed the foreign bod-
It is possible that excess cement left in the peri- ies from soft tissue biopsies, obtained during flap
implant space may favor the bacterial overgrowth surgery, of implants with cement-retained resto-
and also contribute itself to an inflammatory rations and affected by peri-implantitis.
reaction responsible of bone loss around the site The foreign bodies, found in 34 of 36 speci-
(Fig. 11.3). Only retrospective and prospective mens analyzed, showed to be surrounded by
cohort studies are available on this topic. chronic inflammatory infiltrates, dominated by
Nevertheless, important information can be plasma cells. The predominant composition of
gained by analysis of the literature. the foreign bodies was found to be Ti and dental
Wilson et al. [20] reported that 81 % of the cement. One hypothesis was that Ti was depos-
implants restored with a cemented crown and ited due to friction at the moment of implant
with signs of peri-implantitis had extracoronal placement or due to the wear during the mainte-
residual cement evident. Also, in affected nance phases, a third possibility was that the par-
patients, the first signs of peri-implantitis did not ticles were produced as a result of corrosion of
become apparent until 4 months up to 9.5 years the dental implant.
after placement. Moreover, some patients were Regarding the cement remnants in the peri-
reported to be completely resistant to cement implant space, they could have been introduced
excess. at the moment of cementation or during follow-
A retrospective case analysis of 129 implants up visits during attempts of removing the excess
[21] investigated if residual cement could be con- cement.
sidered a cause of peri-implant disease. The Also zirconium was found at SEM analysis;
authors analyzed implants with and without this can derive from zirconium dioxide that is
extracoronal cement excess. Additionally history added to dental cements as a radiopaque material
of past periodontal disease was recorded. or from the abutment when zirconia restorations
It was found that 85 % of implants with cement were employed.
remnants were affected by peri-implantitis; all In conclusion, it seems clear that the use of
implants with excess cement in patients with a cemented restorations can act as a independent
positive history for periodontal disease devel- risk factor for peri-implant disease. On the other
oped peri-implantitis. Within the limitations of a hand, most is in the hand of the clinician who can
study of this kind, the authors concluded that act on controlling the amount of cement applied
residual cement, especially in patients with a his- and also checking the presence of any extrusion in
tory of periodontal disease, can be associated the peri-implant space. In order to do so, intraoral
with development of peri-implant disease. x-rays are performed before the patient leaves the
a b
Fig. 11.3 (a, b) Cement excess in the peri-implant space was the cause of peri-implantitis (Reproduced with permis-
sion from Wadhwani et al.)
11 Peri-implantitis 237
office because the sole visual inspection is not clearly visible at an intraoral x-ray and accessi-
sufficient to detect any excess cement. Even the ble; in this way, hand instrument, ultrasonic
smallest amount of cement is removed carefully. devices, and copious irrigation with chlorhexi-
Finally, when cement excess is detected at dine should ensure the resolution of the inflam-
follow-up visits already having caused some mation. If access to the excess material is not
inflammatory reaction in the form of mucositis or possible with a closed approach, a flap surgery is
peri-implantitis, nonsurgical or surgical removal mandatory and removal of cement, granulation
can be attempted. Nonsurgical approach is tissue, and surface decontamination with
feasible when the amount of cement to remove is chlorhexidine are performed (Fig. 11.4).
a b
c d
b c
Fig. 11.5 (ac) Healthy peri-implant tissues (a). Mucositis characterized by slight bleeding (b). Peri-implantitis diag-
nosed by signs of bone loss (c) (Reproduced with permission from Serino et al.)
11 Peri-implantitis 239
Bleeding on probing (BOP) by itself is consid- the main cause of inflammation. This kind of
ered a sign of mucositis, i.e., inflammation with- treatment is mainly reserved to mucositis, while
out destruction of the tissues. Clinical attachment for conclamated peri-implantitis, surgical
level (CAL) is difficult to determine due to the approach is usually needed.
fact that an arbitrary reference point needs to be Debridement can be performed with manual
established; moreover, it depends by the initial instruments (Fig. 11.6 and 11.7) or ultrasonic
positioning of the implant. In general, it is devices (Fig. 11.8) [26].
assumed that a probing depth (PD) up to 45 mm Curettes used for titanium implants should not
should not be considered pathological. be made of steel; in fact this material has a hard-
In summary, a diagnosis of peri-implantitis ness higher than Ti. For this reason, they damage
can be performed with the presence of bleeding the implant surface with the risk of creating more
on probing and a sulcus depth of 5 mm. The roughness and irregularities ideal for biofilm
presence of pus is a clear sign of peri-implantitis formation.
as well. Curettes manufactured in Ti are safe from this
Regarding the radiological signs, it is advis- point of view and should not lead to damage of
able that a patient suspected of having pathologi- the implant surface.
cal peri-implant changes undergoes x-ray Carbon fiber, Teflon, and plastic curettes,
examination in order to detect the bone resorption although safer because much softer than Ti, are
radiographically. Intraoral radiography is a simple prone to rupturing and also possess a reduced
and reliable diagnostic tool, although the possibil- debriding capacity compared with the titanium
ity of underestimating the MBL, and being a 2D ones.
examination, can miss an early bone loss.
Cone-beam computed tomography has gained
popularity in the last years for the low dose of
x-rays compared to the past and a great quality of
the 3D image which allows to detect even the ear-
liest manifestations of bone loss.
Nonsurgical therapy
Surgical interventions
Adjunctive treatments to nonsurgical or surgi-
cal intervention
Implant removal
Fig. 11.9 (ae) Mandibular implants in the anterior region and two newly placed implants are used for reha-
region affected by peri-implantitis (a) cannot be treated bilitation after healing is completed (e)
and are extracted (b, d). The two implants in the molar
242 O. Iocca and G. Bianco
Moreover, bone removal could compromise the through bacterial plaque removal and decontami-
insertion of future implants in case of treatment nation with various means, alterations of the
failure. implant surface may further impair what is called
Regarding regenerative techniques in case of the process of re-osseointegration.
peri-implantitis, these are chosen just to avoid the Louropoulou et al. [29, 30] reviewed the pub-
contraindications of a resective approach. Bone lished in vitro experiments evaluating the effect
grafting materials have been variously employed, of instrumentation on Ti implant surfaces. They
and the use of protective membranes has also found that the debris of the materials used for
been advocated. Surgical access is made with a instrumentation may impair the proliferation of
simple access flap, and after careful debridement, cells. This could happen with steel or gold, but it
the chosen material is grafted in the defect was most evident with plastic curettes. Moreover,
(Fig. 11.10). plastic instruments seemed to be unable to clean
the structured Ti surfaces.
The air-abrasive devices with sodium bicar-
11.2.3 Comparison of the Various bonate powder seemed to give the best results in
Treatments terms of maintenance of biocompatibility of
rough Ti surfaces; the same was not true for the
Effects of chemotherapeutic and mechanical machined ones.
agents on titanium surfaces have been investi- Another review [31] analyzed the effect of
gated in a series of reviews. One important aspect chemotherapeutic agents on contaminated Ti sur-
to clarify is the biocompatibility of Ti surfaces faces. The most used decontaminant was
after those treatments. It remains to be estab- chlorhexidine 0.12 %, which anyway did not
lished if, after treatment of peri-implantitis seem to reduce significantly the biofilm over Ti
11 Peri-implantitis 243
a b c d
e f g
h i j
Fig. 11.10 (aj) Access flap surgery in an attempt to adopted and the flap is repositioned apically (eh). Preop
treat a deep periodontal pocket (ac). The implant surface (i) and postop (j) probing depth (Reproduced with permis-
is polished with the handpiece (d). GTR procedure is sion from Schwartz and coll. [47])
surfaces, although data reported in the literature Limitations of the in vitro studies on cleaning
are scarce. In vitro studies also showed a good and decontamination of Ti surfaces reside in the
potential for citric acid on bacterial killing on fact that the majority of the experiments are con-
implant surfaces, but the effect of this compound ducted on Ti strips, cylinders, and sheets that
was not found to be investigated. microscopically resemble the implant surface,
Regarding the decontamination capacity of but on the macroscopic level, they do not allow to
mechanical instruments, a review on in vitro reproduce exactly what would happen with a
experiments [32] showed that the steel and plas- threaded implant in the mouth. Nevertheless, the
tic curettes seem to be ineffective in removing authors suggested that some mechanical instru-
bacteria and calcified deposits from the implant ments seemed to possess greater potential in the
surface. The carbon tip piezoelectric scaler treatment of peri-implantitis. In detail, the air-
(VectorTM) instead showed a good capacity of abrasive devices with the use of sodium bicar-
biofilm removal from both SLA and machined Ti bonate or glycine, and the carbon tip VectorTM
surfaces. Good results were obtained with air- scaler. Also, the analysis of the literature allows
abrasive devices and a sodium bicarbonate pow- to understand that a complete biofilm removal is
der, which allowed to remove effectively bacteria not a feasible objective; for this reason,
and bacterial products from machined SLA and combination of treatments should be employed in
TPS Ti surfaces. clinical studies.
244 O. Iocca and G. Bianco
Limitations of this review were that the num- A Bayesian network meta-analysis was con-
ber of patients included in the trials was small. ducted by the same group of authors [45], but this
Moreover, the authors noted that many studies time only nonsurgical treatments were compared,
are sponsored by the companies manufacturing and only PD was used as end-point estimate and
the devices employed in the studies; in this way, only RCTs were included.
a marketing bias should be considered. Finally, Results pointed at debridement in conjunction
short follow-ups do not allow to draw strong with antibiotics as the best treatment in regard to
conclusions. PD reduction when compared to debridement
In summary, no reliable evidence could be only. It was followed by debridement plus
extrapolated from the review. The fact that many PerioChip (Fig. 11.11 and Table 11.2).
alternative treatments are available does not The results of network meta-analysis allow to
allow to make head-to-head meta-analysis feasi- gain new insights into the effectiveness of the
ble; therefore, it results in the difficulty to operate various treatment options, although some limita-
a synthesis of all the trials. Nevertheless, the use tions should be kept in mind.
of adjunctive antibiotic therapy to manual A limited number of studies still limit the
debridement is suggestive of better results in analysis of the different treatment modalities for
terms of CAL and PD. Regarding surgery, peri-implantitis. The surrogate end points
bovine-derived grafts with a resorbable barrier reported in most studies (CAL and PD) may not
gave better results for CAL and PD when com- reflect the characteristics of the true end point
pared to synthetic bone substitutes. (implant failure). Also low-quality trials may
It results evident that, given the multiple limit the strength of a network meta-analysis.
approaches available for the treatment of peri- On the other hand, given the abovementioned
implantitis, multiple combinations of compari- premises of lack of large clinical trials in the
sons are possible. Moreover there is a great treatment of peri-implantitis and the great hetero-
heterogeneity in methods and reporting of results. geneity between the various studies, a synthesis
When this occurs, it may lead to difficulty in via an NMA is the only way available to draw
translating the results of the available studies on some relevant conclusion.
clinical practice. And in fact, the selection of a At the current state, it seems that prevention is
given treatment for peri-implantitis patients is the best way to face peri-implant diseases. Careful
still subjective. patient selection allows to avoid the implant treat-
A methodological way of synthesis that may ment in those patients predisposed to the develop-
help in this kind of scenario is the use of network ment of peri-implantitis, poor oral hygiene and
meta-analysis (NMA), a statistical tool that cigarette smoking being the most important risk
allows to combine the results of various studies in factors. After implant placement, a lifelong fol-
a way to draw a realistic picture of the state of the low-up with regular checkups is mandatory in
evidence. order to reduce the incidence of peri-implantitis.
The NMA of Faggion et al. [44] attempted to When signs of peri-implant mucositis occur, a
compare different peri-implantitis treatments. prompt nonsurgical intervention should be
Eleven studies (RCTs and controlled trials) employed in order to avoid a development to con-
were included for the analysis, and results at 4, clamated peri-implantitis.
6, and 12 months were included. Results for Finally, it is possible to conclude that the
CAL gain and PD reduction were better for sur- search of the best treatment option for patients
gical compared to nonsurgical approaches. affected by peri-implantitis remains an open
When adjunctive treatments were added for question. Undoubtedly surgical approaches
comparison, again the surgical procedures plus seem to give the best results at short-term fol-
bone grafts and non-resorbable membranes gave low-up periods. Reviews seem to show that
the best results in respect to CAL and PD at 12 laser therapy does not confer an advantage over
months. traditional systems. Also, there is no evidence
246 O. Iocca and G. Bianco
100 %
90 %
80 %
Probability to rank at each place
70 %
60 %
50 %
40 %
30 %
20 %
10 %
0%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Rank for PPD
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