title: Soft and hard tissue changes around laser microtexture single tooth implants--a clinical and radiographic evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the periodontal parameters that affect the soft and hard tissues around Laser microtextured single tooth implants at 18 months after loading.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty Laser Lok implants were placed in 20 single missing tooth sites using a 2-stage protocol. Clinical Parameters included Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), Probing Pocket Depth (PPD), Bleeding on Probing (BOP), and Crestal Bone Loss (CBL). Clinical and radiographic evaluation was done at loading, 12 months and 18 months after loading. The data collected were analyzed statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PI and GI during the entire follow-up period were well controlled. Eighty-six percent of implant sites were free of BOP at loading and 87% of sites were free of BOP at 18 months. A significant increase in PPD was not observed. The mean CBL was 0.59 mm at the time of loading, 0.80 mm at 12 months, and 1.06 mm at 18 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Laser Lok implants showed minimal CBL at 18 months than the commonly accepted 1.5 to 2.0 mm. The periimplant soft tissue stability was maintained throughout the study.
authors.affiliation: *Professor and Head of the Department, Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India. †Senior Lecturer, Department of Periodontology & Oral Implantology, Santosh Dental College and Hospital, Santosh University, Ghaziabad, India. ‡Professor, School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY.
authors.forename: Dharmarajan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gopalakrishnan
authors.forename: Vaibhav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Georgios E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Romanos
mesh_terms: D019250:Dental Implants, Single-Tooth; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers