Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the influence of implant length on marginal bone loss, comparing implants of 4 mm, 6 mm, and >8 mm, supporting two splinted crowns after 36-month functional loading. Materials and Methods: this retrospective clinical trial evaluated the peri-implant behavior of splinted crowns (two per case) on pairs of implants of the same length placed in the posterior maxilla (molar area). Implants were divided into three groups according to length (Group 1: extra-short 4 mm; Group 2: short 6 mm; Group 3: conventional length >8 mm). Marginal bone loss was analyzed using standardized periapical radiographs at the time of loading and 36 months later. Results: 24 patients (19 women and 5 men) were divided into three groups, eight rehabilitations per group, in the position of the maxillary first and second molars. The 48 Straumann® Standard Plus (Regular Neck (RN)/Wide Neck (WN)) implants were examined after 36 months of functional loading. Statistical analysis found no significant differences in bone loss between the three groups (p = 0.421). No implant suffered biological complications or implant loss. Long implants were associated with less radiographic bone loss. Conclusions: extra-short (4 mm); short (6 mm); and conventional length (>8 mm) implants in the posterior maxilla present similar peri-implant bone loss and 100% survival rates in rehabilitation, by means of two splinted crowns after 36 months of functional loading. Implants placed in posterior positions present better bone loss results than implants placed in anterior positions, regardless of the interproximal area where bone loss is measured. Conventional length (>8 mm) implants show better behavior in terms of distal bone loss than short (6 mm) and extra-short (4 mm) implants.
Highlights
Physiological resorption of bone volume begins to develop as soon as teeth are lost from the mandible or the maxilla
This retrospective clinical trial was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia (Valencia, Spain) and fulfilled ethical guidelines established in the Declaration of Helsinki and the CONSORT Statement
None of the dental implants failed during the follow-up period; a 100% survival rate was achieved in all study groups
Summary
Physiological resorption of bone volume begins to develop as soon as teeth are lost from the mandible or the maxilla. This is due to the fact that formation and preservation of the alveolar processes depend on the presence of the teeth. The maxilla undergoes centripetal resorption from vestibular to palatine, while resorption in the mandible is centrifugal from lingual to vestibular [1,2]. Whether in the mandible or the maxilla, more or less resorption will occur, depending on the number of teeth lost and the time passed since tooth loss [3]. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 9278; doi:10.3390/ijerph17249278 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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