ABSTRACT
While, overall, dental implants are highly efficacious, consistently achieving predictable esthetic results can pose color-driven challenges at the implant/soft-tissue interface, particularly in the esthetic zone. An ongoing, 5-year, multicenter (eight sites) prospective study is following a total of 168 implants placed in 120 patients using a novel biomimetic (osteoconductive) implant system with pink collars and abutments that afford better gingival color matching, enhanced design variability, and streamlined fabrication and customization of the abutment/implant-tissue interface. The full results of this study will be published at the 3-year and 5-year timepoints; however, clinical analyses of the 18-month interim survival rates, marginal bone and soft-tissue level changes, and esthetics have been completed, showing an overall success rate among all of the implanted sites of 95.8%. For the three representative cases described in this article (two anterior, one posterior), all of the implant site probing depths were ≤ 3 mm at the final crown placement as well as at 6, 12, and 18 months after implant placement. Facial soft-tissue heights were stable or increased by ≥ 0.86 mm; lingual soft-tissue heights were reduced by ≤ 1.11 mm. Facial and lingual attached-gingiva widths were reduced by ≤ 1.20 mm and ≤ 0.63 mm, respectively. Interproximal marginal alveolar bone levels were stable (gain/loss range: +0.40 to -1.1 mm) from the start of the study through 18 months. Gingival inflammation, bleeding on probing, and plaque were infrequently observed, and esthetic results were uniformly excellent at the 18-month follow-up visit.
