Purpose: To investigate and assess the differences in crestal bone loss (CBL) between wide-diameter, external-hexagon– connection implants restored with platform-switching (PS) and platform-matching (PM) restorations with a follow-up of 10 years.
Materials and Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the updated and enlarged dataset of a 5-year prospective clinical study at 10-year follow-up. The data concerns 182 healthy adult subjects treated in a private dental practice who received a single wide-diameter implant with an external hexagon connection in the molar area, restored with either a PS restoration (test) or PM restoration (control). The amount of CBL was radiographically measured at each annual follow-up, as well as after 5 and 10 years of implant loading. In evaluating the association between the two types of abutments and bone loss (including change over time), a linear mixed effects model was run for longitudinal data.
Results: Implants connected with PS restorations exhibited significantly lower reduction (0.25 mm) in CBL than those joined to PM restorations (P < .001; 95% CI from 0.22 to 0.29). However, both groups presented a higher increase in bone loss during the first year (0.58 mm in PS and 0.83 mm in PM) and a linear increment thereafter until the 10-year followup (0.046 mm/year; P < .001; 95% CI from .042 to .049).
Conclusion: Notwithstanding the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that after 10 years of follow-up, the implant with a wide diameter and external-hexagon connection restored with a PS abutment seems to be more effective in reducing bone loss compared with the PM abutment. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2023;38:46–52. doi: 10.11607/jomi.9744
Keywords: crestal bone loss, external connection, implant-supported fixed dental prostheses, platform-matching, platform-switching
