The Effect of Tapered Abutments on Marginal Bone Level: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract BACKGROUND: Early peri-implant bone loss has been associated to long-term implant-prosthetic failure. Different technical, surgical, and prosthetic techniques have been introduced to enhance the clinical outcome of dental implants in terms of crestal bone preservation. The aim of the present cohort study was to observe the mean marginal bone level around two-part implants with gingivally tapered abutments one year after loading. METHODS: Mean marginal bone levels and change were computed following radiological calibration and linear measurement on standardized radiographs. RESULTS: Twenty patients who met the inclusion criterion of having at least one implant with the tapered prosthetic connection were included in the study. The cumulative implant success rate was 100%, the average bone loss was -0.18 ± 0.72 mm, with the final bone level sitting above the implant platform most of the time (+1.16 ± 0.91 mm). CONCLUSION: The results of this cohort study suggested that implants with tapered abutments perform successfully one year after loading and that they are associated with excellent marginal bone preservation, thus suggesting that implant-connection macro-geometry might have a crucial role in dictating peri-implant bone levels