Effect of Repeated Removal and Re-placement of Abutments Around Dental Implants

Effect of Repeated Removal and Re-placement of Laser Microgrooved and Machined Abutments on Proinflammatory Cytokine Levels Around Dental Implants

Repeated removal and re-placement of healing and prosthetic abutments result in frequent injuries to the soft tissues. The purpose was to evaluate the effect of repeated removal and re-placement of laser microgrooved and smooth/machined healing and prosthetic abutments during restorative stages, and 1 year after functional loading, on proinflammatory cytokine levels around dental implants.

Twenty-four patients each received 2 one-stage implants in a split mouth design on the same jaw. In each patient one healing and prosthetic abutments with a laser microgrooved surface (LMS group) and one healing and prosthetic abutments with smooth/machined surface (S/MS group) were used. Four months following implant placement [Baseline (BSL)], the healing abutments were disconnnected and reconnected three times to carry out the impression procedures and metal framework try-in. Four weeks later (T0), definitive prosthetic abutments were installated with screw retained crowns. Samples for immunological analyses were taken from the sulcus around each implant at BSL, T0, and 1 year after functional loading (T1). Peri-implant crevicular fluid samples were analyzed for interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels using the ELISA kit.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years or older, in good general health, and with sufficient amount of bone available to place a standard implant

Exclusion Criteria:

• natural teeth adjacent to surgical area affected by untreated periodontal or endodontic infections, peri-implant bone defects requiring bone augmentation, absence of opposing occlusion,