Journal of Oral Implantology May 2013 - (Page 273)

RESEARCH Radiographic Evaluation of Narrow-Diameter Implants After 5 Years of Clinical Function: A Retrospective Study Onur Geckili, PhD, DDS* Emre Mumcu, PhD, DDS Hakan Bilhan, PhD, DDS The use of regular-sized dental implants is generally recommended to ensure adequate bone to implant contact. However, when the width of the edentulous crest is insufficient for the placement of a regular-sized implant, the use of a narrow-diameter implant (NDI) should be considered to prevent the need for invasive reconstruction techniques such as grafting procedures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the survival and marginal bone levels of NDIs 5 years after prosthetic loading. A total of 159 NDIs belonging to 4 brands (Straumann, Astra Tech, Biolok, Xive) were evaluated in 71 patients. Clinical and radiographic evaluations using digital panoramic radiography were carried out. Two implants failed and no progressive bone loss or periapical lesions were detected in the remaining 157 implants, which is an overall success rate of 98.74%. Mean marginal bone loss (MBL) was found 1 mm on the mesial side and 0.98 mm on the distal side of the implants. No statistically significant relationship was detected between patient age, gender, implant location, implant length, type of the prosthesis, and MBL (P . .05). Among the 4 brands used, the MBL was highest around the Biolok implants but this was significant only compared with the Astra Tech implants (P , .05). The results of the present study indicate that NDIs can be a good solution for specific clinical situations where regular-sized implants are not suitable. Key Words: narrow-diameter implants, marginal bone loss, dental implants, implant survival, fixed prosthesis, overdenture INTRODUCTION T he dental implant is a very successful tool in the treatment of partial and complete edentulism, making it a popular treatment modality.1,2 In particular cases of single or multiple tooth loss, preparation of healthy teeth adjacent to the edentulous areas is avoided, and the alveolar bone is preserved with implant restorations.3 The use of a wide or regular-sized implant (!4.0 mm) is generally recommended to ensure sufficient bone to implant contact.4–6 However, it should be pointed out that a minimum of 1 mm of bone thickness must surround the entire implant surface.7 1 Istanbul University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Prosthodontics, ˙stanbul, Turkey. I * Corresponding author, e-mail: geckili@istanbul.edu.tr DOI: 10.1563/AAID-JOI-D-10-00158 In cases of bone atrophy of the long-term edentulous areas or bone loss due to periodontal diseases, periapical pathologies, and traumatic tooth extractions, bone width is usually not adequate for regular-sized implants.8–11 This is because the width of the buccal and lingual bone walls will be diminished and, in particular, the height of the buccal socket wall will be reduced.10,11 Placing a regular-sized implant in such situations may cause large dehiscences, and thus, a risk of complications and failure.7 Moreover, the use of narrow-diameter implants (NDIs) in alveolar bone with a limited buccolingual or mesiodistal width may prevent the risk of injury to neighboring teeth.7,12 To overcome the above mentioned and additional problems related to reduced interdental spaces due to migration or drifting of the remaining teeth, replacement of mandibular incisors and maxillary lateral teeth, and narrow denture-bearing Journal of Oral Implantology 273

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of Oral Implantology May 2013

Implantology: Inter-Dependent Worldwide Relationships
Use of Osteotomes for Implant Bed Preparation-Effect on Material Properties of Bone and Primary Implant Stability
The Effects of a Static Magnetic Field on Bone Formation Around a Sandblasted, Large-Grit, Acid-Etched-Treated Titanium Implant
Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma on the Outcome of Early Loaded Dental Implants: A 3-Year Follow-up Study
Flapless Dental Implant Surgery for Patients on Oral Anticoagulants-The "WarLess Procedure": A Report of 2 Cases
Radiographic Evaluation of Narrow-Diameter Implants After 5 Years of Clinical Function: A Retrospective Study
Histomorphometry of 2 Immediately Loaded Mini Implants Retrieved From Human Mantible After 3 Months: A Light and Scanning Electron Microscopy Report
Splinted Zirconia Fixed Partial Denture Supported by Small Diameter (Mini Implants) in the Posterior Mandible: A Case Letter

Journal of Oral Implantology May 2013