DOI: 10.11607/prd.2940, PubMed ID (PMID): 27560671Pages 672-679, Language: EnglishNeiva, Rodrigo / Tovar, Nick / Jimbo, Ryo / Gil, Luiz F. / Goldberg, Paula / Barbosa, Joao P. M. / Lilin, Thomas / Coelho, Paulo G.This study describes the early soft tissue morphology around two different implant systems that received either smooth or laser-etched abutments in a beagle dog model. Implants were placed in the healed mandibular molar region of eight beagle dogs and allowed to heal for 7 weeks. When the most apical aspect of the junctional epithelium (JE) was above or within the upper half of the laser-etched region, fibers were oriented perpendicular to the abutment surface. In contrast, JE positioned within the lower half of the laser-etched region or within or below the implant-abutment gap level presented fibers oriented parallel to the abutment surface.
