Customized Titanium Single-Implant Abutments: 2-Year Follow-up Pilot Study

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe an alternative technique to fabricate single-implant restorations by using adjustable titanium abutments with porcelain applied directly to the abutment, and to follow an early group of patients treated with these crowns. Materials and Methods: Seventeen randomly selected single crowns were consecutively placed in 14 patients and then followed for 2 years. A protocol of using healing abutments, implant impressions, and adjustement of the final abutment in the laboratory was used to fabricate the crowns. Results: The clinical result revealed few clinical problems, and the mean marginal bone loss was 0.4 mm (standard deviation ± 0.57 mm) after 1 year in function. Conclusion: The conclusion drawn, based im part on published literature, was that occurrence of mucosal inflammation and marginal bone loss was not related to the use of the present protocol.