Journal of Dental Medicine

Background and Aim: Soft tissue condition around dental implant is an essential part for long term healthy and esthetic outcome. The aim of this study was to compare soft tissue dimensions between implant supported single  tooth replacement and the contra-lateral natural tooth.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was performed on dentate patients treated with anterior single  tooth implant at least 1 year ago. Of twenty eight, fourteen patients had been treated with one stasge method and others with two stage method. Biologic width (BW), papilla index (PI), and mucosal thickness (MT) were evaluated around implants and contra-lateral teeth clinically and compared with each other. The Wilcoxon test, Mann-Whitney test, and Student pair t-test were used to assess the differences between one stasge and two stage implants, and implant and tooth groups.

Results: The mean BW around one stasge implants, two stage implants, and contra-lateral teeth were 1.42±0.48 mm, 1.67±0.48 mm, and 1.47±0.60 mm, respectively. The mean PI adjacent to one stasge implants, Two stage implants, and contra-lateral teeth were 2.50±0.52, 2.53±0.55, and 2.72±0.47, correspondingly. The mean MT around one stasge implants, two stage implants, and contra-lateral teeth were 3.10±0.48, 3.09±0.75, and 2.57±0.88, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference among one stasge implants, two stage implants, and contra-lateral teeth with regard to measured variables.

Conclusion: Based on the results of this investigation, in standard condition, it seems that there is no noticeable difference in indicators of biologic width, papilla index, and mucosal thickness around one stasge implants, two stage implants, and contra-lateral teeth.