Performance of indirect technique in peri‐implant soft tissue contour duplication in the anterior maxilla: A clinical pilot study

Abstract

To evaluate the performance of the indirect technique in peri-implant soft tissue contour duplication after the delivery procedure in the anterior maxilla. Patients with single implant-supported fixed restorations in the anterior maxilla were recruited. For the impression procedure, an intraoral scan was acquired by both the direct and the indirect techniques. For the delivery procedure, implants were randomly allocated into one of the two groups according to the approaches of digital impression preceding definite crown fabrication (A-direct technique; B-indirect technique) and were scanned again after the definite crown delivery. The stereolithography files were superimposed to analyze changes in peri-implant soft tissue contour after the delivery procedure. The main outcomes were dimensional deviations of peri-implant mucosa, and the secondary outcome was differences in the pink esthetic score (PES). A total of 20 implants that underwent the complete workflow were included. After the delivery procedure, significant deviations in palatal tissue thickness between the provisional and definite crowns were observed in Group A but these were absent in Group B. Additionally, deviations in labial thickness (0.27 ± 0.12 mm vs. 0.08 ± 0.09 mm) and palatal thickness (0.17 ± 0.15 mm vs. 0.03 ± 0.08 mm), and labial volume of soft tissue (1.87 ± 0.94 mm3 vs. 0.75 ± 0.74 mm3 ) in Group A were significantly higher than those in Group B. No significant differences in PES were found. The indirect technique of scanning the provisional crown can more accurately duplicate the peri-implant soft tissue contour than the direct technique, resulting in a smaller deviation of the soft tissue in the delivery procedure.