title: Hard and soft tissue changes around implants installed in regular-sized and reduced alveolar bony ridges. An experimental study in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study bony and soft tissue changes at implants installed in alveolar bony ridges of different widths.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 6 Labrador dogs, the mandibular premolars and first molars were extracted, and a buccal defect was created in the left side at the third and fourth premolars by removing the buccal bone and the inter-radicular and interdental septa. Three months after tooth extraction, full-thickness mucoperiosteal flaps were elevated, and implants were installed, two at the reduced (test) and two at the regular-sized ridges (control). Narrow or wide abutments were affixed to the implants. After 3 months, biopsies were harvested, and ground sections prepared for histological evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher vertical buccal bony crest resorption was found at the test (1.5 ± 0.7 mm and 1.0 ± 0.7 mm) compared to the control implants (1.0 ± 0.5 mm and 0.7 ± 0.4 mm), for both wide and narrow abutment sites. A higher horizontal alveolar resorption was identified at the control compared to the test implants. The difference was significant for narrow abutment sites. The peri-implant mucosa was more coronally positioned at the narrow abutment, in the test sites, while for the control sites, the mucosal adaptation was more coronal at the wide abutment sites. These differences, however, did not reach statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implants installed in regular-sized alveolar ridges had a higher horizontal, but a lower vertical buccal bony crest resorption compared to implants installed in reduced alveolar ridges. Narrow abutments in reduced ridges as well as wide abutments in regular-sized ridges yielded less soft tissue recession compared to their counterparts.
authors.affiliation: ARDEC, Ariminum Odontologica, Rimini, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baffone
authors.forename: Niklaus P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pantani
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Favero
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Botticelli
mesh_terms: D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000473:pathology*; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000601:surgery*; D000818:Animals; D001641:Bicuspid; D001706:Biopsy; D000044:Dental Abutments; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods*; D004285:Dogs; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000473:pathology*; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008963:Molar; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014081:Tooth Extraction
keywords: alveolar bony ridge; animal study; bone healing; dental implants; dimensional changes; implant dentistry; osseointegration