title: The role of keratinized mucosa in peri-implant health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of keratinized mucosa around dental implants, correlating with other clinical parameters related to the success of dental implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-section.
  
  
  METHODS
  Institutional tertiary referral hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 202 dental implants fixed in the cleft area of 109 patients with cleft lip and/or palate were evaluated. Interventions: The evaluated clinical parameters were probing depth and gingival and plaque indexes on the buccal surface (three sites).
  
  
  METHODS
  All clinical parameters were correlated with the width of keratinized mucosa around the implants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The largest probing depths were detected when the width of keratinized mucosa was 2 mm or more, with a statistically significant difference between the means of the probing depth and keratinized mucosa width.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though the present results suggest that peri-implant health can be observed in areas with keratinized mucosa width under 2 mm provided an adequate oral hygiene control is performed, longitudinal randomized studies are necessary to analyze the relationship between the width of keratinized mucosa and the health of peri-implant tissues.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis Augusto
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Esper
authors.forename: Samuel Barros
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Rosane de Oliveira Fortes
authors.initials: Rde O
authors.lastname: Kaizer
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia Pompéia Fraga
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: de Almeida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015921:Dental Implants; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants; D007633:Keratins