Tissue integration of non-submerged implants. 1-year results of a prospective study with 100 ITI hollow-cylinder and hollow-screw implants.

It has been postulated that the wound healing in a closed submerged location is one of the prerequisites for osseointegration of dental implants. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the tissue integration of intentionally non-submerged titanium implants inserted by a one-stage surgical procedure. 100 ITI implants were consecutively placed in 70 partially edentulous patients. After a healing period free of masticatory loading for at least 3 months, the implants were examined. The clinical status showed for all implants neither detectable mobility nor signs of a peri-implant infection. Therefore, prosthetic abutments were inserted, and the patients were restored with fixed partial dentures. All patients were regularly recalled at 3-month intervals, and no patient dropped out of the study. Thus, all 100 implants were re-evaluated 12 months following implantation. Plaque- and sulcus bleeding indices, probing depth, clinical attachment level, width of keratinized mucosa, and periotest scores were assessed. In addition, standardized radiographs were analyzed for the presence of peri-implant radiolucencies and for the location of alveolar bone levels around the implants. Based on predefined criteria, the implants were classified as successful or failing. 98 implants were considered successful, and 1 implant failing. The remaining implant exhibited a peri-implant infection requiring local and systemic antimicrobial treatment. The results of this short-term study indicate that intentionally non-submerged ITI implants yield a high predictability for successful tissue integration.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Light and transmission electron microscopy of the intact interfaces between non-submerged titanium-coated epoxy resin implants and bone or gingiva.

This experiment was aimed at studying the intact tissue/implant interface of non-submerged dental implants with a titanium surface. Epoxy-resin replicas were fabricated from 3.05 x 8 mm cylindrical titanium implants with a plasma-sprayed apical portion and a smooth coronal collar. The replicas were coated with a 90-120-nm-thick layer of pure titanium and autoclaved. The coated replicas were inserted as non-submerged endosseous implants in the edentulous premolar region of dog mandibles and allowed to heal for three months. Jaw sections containing the implants were processed for light and electron microscopic study of the intact tissue/implant interface with and without prior demineralization. Gingival connective tissue fibers were closely adapted to the titanium layer, in an orientation more or less parallel to the implant surface. There was no evidence of any fiber insertions into the surface irregularities of the smooth or rough titanium surface. Undemineralized bone was intimately adapted to the titanium surface without any intervening space. In demineralized sections, the collagen fibers of the bone matrix tended to be somewhat thinner and occasionally less densely packed in the vicinity of the implant surface. However, they extended all the way to the titanium surface, without any intervening fibril-free layer.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Inpatient Evaluation of Periodontal, Esthetic and Inflammatory Parameters Around Dental Implants and Natural Teeth

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