Influence of buccal bony crest width on marginal dimensions of peri‐implant hard and soft tissues after implant installation. An experimental study in dogs

Abstract

To evaluate the influence of the width of the buccal bony wall on hard and soft tissue dimensions following implant installation. Mandibular premolars and first molars of six Labrador dogs were extracted bilaterally. After 3months of healing, two recipient sites, one on each side of the mandible, were prepared in such a way as to obtain a buccal bony ridge width of about 2mm in the right (control) and 1mm in the left sides (test), respectively. Implants were installed with the coronal margin flush with the buccal alveolar bony crest. Abutments were placed and the flaps were sutured to allow a non-submerged healing. After 3months, the animals were euthanized and ground sections obtained. All implants were completely osseointegrated. In respect to the coronal rough margin of the implant, the most coronal bone-to-implant contact was apically located 1.04±0.91 and 0.94±0.87mm at the test and control sites, respectively, whereas the top of the bony crest was located 0.30±0.40mm at the test and 0.57±0.49mm at the control sites. No statistically significant differences were found. A larger horizontal bone resorption, however, evaluated 1mm apically to the rough margin, was found at the control (1.1±0.7mm) compared to the test (0.3±0.3mm) sites, the difference being statistically significant. A thin peri-implant mucosa (2.4-2.6mm) was found at implant installation while, after 3months of healing, a biological width of 3.90-4.40mm was observed with no statistically significant differences between control and test sites. A width of the buccal bony wall of 1or 2mm at implant sites yielded similar results after 3months of healing in relation of hard tissue and soft tissues dimensions after implant installation.