title: Dynamics of soft tissue healing at implants and teeth: a study in a dog model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe and to compare some characteristics of the soft tissue healing process around teeth and implants after flap surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five adult beagle dogs had their third and fourth lower premolars extracted. After 3 months, four implants per dog were placed on the healed alveolar ridge and allowed to heal non-submerged during 3 months. After 3 months, four regions characterized by one implant and one adjacent tooth were identified in each dog. One region was randomly selected and soft tissue ressective flap surgery was performed at its buccal aspect. The remaining three regions were randomly treated in an identical manner, and the dogs were sacrificed to provide biopsies representing healing intervals of 1, 2, 4, and 12 weeks. The biopsies were prepared for histological and morphological analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Morphometric and histometric analyses have shown that the gingival tissues surrounding teeth were completely healed after a 4-week interval. However, it took from 4 to 12 weeks for the peri-implant mucosa to heal completely.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The healing process around teeth and implants follows a similar sequence of events. Nevertheless, the complete process of healing and maturation of the peri-implant tissues takes longer than around teeth.
authors.affiliation: Division of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sukekava
authors.affiliation: Division of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudio M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pannuti
authors.affiliation: Division of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tormena
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, State University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mauricio G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Araújo
mesh_terms: D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000601:surgery; D000818:Animals; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants; D004285:Dogs; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery; D011897:Random Allocation; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants
keywords: animal experiments; soft tissue-implant interactions; wound healing