Implant interface design has significant impact on implant microbial leakage

Although state-of-the-art implant manufacturing techniques are implemented using modern technology, challenges related to 2-piece implants still remain. The formation of micro defects on the surfaces of an implant and abutment components during milling and manufacturing processes results in "micro gaps" at the implant-abutment interface (IAI). These micro gaps could be a reservoir for bacterial accumulation, peri‑implant bone loss, and peri‑implantitis.

This study aimed to evaluate implants from different manufacturers and determine whether the implant-healing abutment interface has a significant impact on implant seal.

An air-injection pressure measurement test was performed on implants with either line-contact (modified TSIII [TSM] and Bone Level Tapered [BLT]) or partial face-contact (BlueDiamond [BD], SuperLine [SL], ISII, and UFII) interface design from 6 different manufacturers. Forty implants per implant type were analysed. Pressure data were evaluated with Kruskal–the Wallis test and Dunn's post hoc analysis (statistical significance was set at P < .05).

Results:

• BLT implants leaked when the mean pressure was increased to 199.9 kPa.
• The following implants showed mean leakage pressures of 182.9 (TSM), 157.4 (BD), 112.9 (SL), 101.8 (ISII), and 30.6 (UFII).
• There was a significant difference between line-contact and partial face-contact implants (P < .001).

Thus, the implant interface design has a significant impact on implant microbial leakage. Implants with a line-contact interface exhibited higher resistance to leakage than those with partial face contact.

Reference:

Soyeon Kim, Joo Won Lee, Jae-Heon Kim, Van Mai Truong, Young-Seok Park, et al. Assessing Microleakage at 2 Different Implant-Healing Abutment Interfaces. International Dental Journal,2022, ISSN 0020-6539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2022.07.010.