The Microbial Neck: A Biological Review of the Various Implant–Abutment Connections

Abstract

Aim: This study reviews the importance of selecting implant systems with connection designs that ensure better long-term prognosis of the prosthesis, thus placed. Materials and Methods: An electronic search on the PubMed database was done using MeSH keywords (“dental implant OR abutment OR connection AND microleakage OR bone loss”) to review English language articles published since the year 2011, which compared the crestal bone levels and microleakage around various implant–abutment connection designs (external hex, internal hex, and Morse taper). The search screened for articles on human trials and in vitro studies to be included within the review. Results: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria applied to the preliminary search, a total of four articles were included in the review for evaluating the influence of connection type on peri-implant bone loss, while nine articles were included to study the influence on bacterial leakage across the implant–abutment interface. Conclusion: Based on the studies reviewed, the conical connection design proved to be the most biologically stable junctional geometry because of the better microbial seal and the lesser micromovement observed in these types of implants during functional loading. Moreover, this review even emphasizes the need for more longitudinal clinical trials to assess the microbial seal of these connection designs within the actual oral environment to evaluate long-term changes in the peri-implant tissues, and subsequently even factor the prognosis of the planned prosthetic intervention.