title: A comparative study to evaluate the effect of two different abutment designs on soft tissue healing and stability of mucosal margins.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of two different abutment designs on soft tissue healing and the stability of the mucosal margin in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine subjects received two, non-adjacent endosseous implants in the esthetic zone. Subsequently, conventional (control) and curved abutments (experimental) were placed in combination with a temporary restoration (left-right randomization). Plaster models of the healed sites were made to assess the stability of the soft tissues at baseline and after 6 weeks. To measure deseating force, a dontrix gauge was used while removing the abutments after 6 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although visually, differences in the transmucosal area were observed, the differences in marginal recession and in deseating force between abutments from the experimental and the control group never reached a statistically significant level. In general, some gain in soft tissue height was seen in both groups. Angled abutments elicited recession at all buccal sites (P = 0.003-0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abutments with a circumferential groove do not lead to a different response of the mucosal margin compared with a regular abutment, and are no more resistant upon removal than regular abutments after 6 weeks of function.
authors.affiliation: Smile Care Clinic Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai 400 050, India. ratnadeeppatil@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ratnadeep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Brakel
authors.forename: Kavita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iyer
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huddleston Slater
authors.forename: Cornelis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Putter
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cune
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000044:Dental Abutments; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants; D003761:Dental Impression Technique; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013499:Surface Properties; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants