Platform switching: a new concept in implant dentistry for controlling postrestorative crestal bone levels.

Histologic and radiographic observations suggest that a biologic dimension of hard and soft tissues exists around dental implants and extends apically from the implant-abutment interface. Radiographic evidence of the development of the biologic dimension can be demonstrated by the vertical repositioning of crestal bone and the subsequent soft tissue attachment to the implant that occurs when an implant is uncovered and exposed to the oral environment and matching-diameter restorative components are attached. Historically, two-piece dental implant systems have been restored with prosthetic components that locate the interface between the implant and the attached component element at the outer edge of the implant platform. In 1991, Implant Innovations introduced wide-diameter implants with matching wide-diameter platforms. When introduced, however, matching-diameter prosthetic components were not available, and many of the early 5.0- and 6.0-mm-wide implants received "standard"-diameter (4.1-mm) healing abutments and were restored with "standard"-diameter (4.1-mm) prosthetic components. Long-term radiographic follow-up of these "platform-switched" restored wide-diameter dental implants has demonstrated a smaller than expected vertical change in the crestal bone height around these implants than is typically observed around implants restored conventionally with prosthetic components of matching diameters. This radiographic observation suggests that the resulting postrestorative biologic process resulting in the loss of crestal bone height is altered when the outer edge of the implant-abutment interface is horizontally repositioned inwardly and away from the outer edge of the implant platform. This article introduces the concept of platform switching and provides a foundation for future development of the biologic understanding of the observed radiographic findings and clinical rationale for this technique.

Bone-implant contact on machined and dual acid-etched surfaces after 2 months of healing in the human maxilla.

BACKGROUND: Recent clinical studies indicate that an implant with a textured surface may be loaded sooner than traditional healing protocols have recommended. In a previous study, the 6-month bone-implant contact for dual acid-etched and machined implant surfaces was reported to be 72.96% and 33.98%, respectively. In 1991, a minimum of 50% bone-implant contact was considered necessary for loading to ensure long-term survival of the implant. This study evaluated the 2-month bone-implant contact for dual acid-etched and machined implant surfaces to determine if this criterion had been met. METHODS: Custom manufactured implants (2 mm diameter and 5 mm length), having on one side a machined surface and on the other side a dual acid-etched surface, were placed in the posterior maxilla of 11 patients, allowed to integrate for 2 months, then removed using a 4 mm internal diameter trephine with irrigation. Sections were processed and stained for histologic and histomorphometric analysis. The parameters calculated for each section were: bone volume (BV%), actual percent bone-implant contact (BIC%), and expected bone contact (EBC%) as determined from 3 implant images superimposed onto the adjacent bone 150, 500, and 1,000 microm lateral to the actual implant surface and representing the bone-implant contact expected on the day the implant was placed, based on the peri-implant bone volume. RESULTS: Histomorphometric analysis indicated that the mean BV% of 36.77% from all sections was closely matched to the mean EBC% of 34.36% (P<0.001). The analysis showed that after 2 months of healing, the 47.81% BIC% on the dual acid-etched side was statistically higher (analysis of variance, P<0.001) than the 19.00% BIC% on the machined side. In areas of low-density bone (<40% BV%), the difference between the BIC% for the machined and dual acid-etched sides was even greater. Nine of the 11 dual acid-etched sides had a higher BIC% than the EBC% value. In the machined group, 1 of the 11 sides had a higher BIC% value than the EBC% value. The bone surrounding the dual acid-etched surface was a woven bone with thin, connecting peri-implant bony trabeculae projecting into and between the threads. Bone on the machined side was observed mostly contacting the tips of the screw threads. CONCLUSIONS: At 2 months, the mean BIC% for the dual acid-etched group increased 39.14% compared to the EBC% value, while the mean BIC% for the machined group decreased 44.70%. Based on the histomorphometric results of this study, sufficient bone for functional loading of the implant exists on a dual acid-etched surface after 2 months of healing in the posterior maxillary arch.