The effects of laser microtextured collars upon crestal bone levels of dental implants.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the crestal bone, connective tissue, and epithelial cell response to a laser microtextured collar compared with a machined collar, in the dog model.


METHODS
Six mongrel dogs had mandibular premolars and first molars extracted and after healing replaced with BioLok implants 4 x 8 mm. Each dog had 3 control implants placed on one side of the mandible and 3 experimental, laser microtextured, implants placed contralaterally. After 3 months, 1 dog was killed. Bridges were placed on the implants of 4 of the dogs. The sixth dog served as a negative control for the duration of the experiment. Two of the dogs were killed 3 months after loading, of the dogs were killed 6 months after loading as was the negative (unloaded) control. Histology, electron microscopy, and histomorpho-metric analysis was done on histologic sections obtained from block sections of the mandible containing the implants.


RESULTS
Initially the experimental implants showed greater bone attachment along the collar. With time the bone heights along the control and experimental collars were equivalent. However, the controls had more soft tissue downgrowth, greater osteoclastic activity, and increased saucerization compared with sites adjacent to experimental implants. There was closer adaptation of the bone to the laser microtextured collars.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of tissue-engineered collars with microgrooving seems to promote bone and soft tissue attachment along the collar and facilitate development of a biological width.
Department of Restorative Dentistry, New Jersey Dental School, Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA. weiner@umdnj.edu
Saul
S
Weiner
Joshua
J
Simon
David S
DS
Ehrenberg
Barry
B
Zweig
John L
JL
Ricci
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003239:Connective Tissue Cells / Q000502:physiology; D045662:Dental Etching / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D004285:Dogs; D004846:Epithelial Attachment / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005881:Gingiva / Q000502:physiology; D007834:Lasers; D016348:Osseointegration; D013499:Surface Properties
D015921:Dental Implants