title: The influence of the distance between narrow implants and the adjacent teeth on marginal bone levels.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate how the distance between narrow implants and adjacent teeth influences the marginal bone levels (MBL) up to 3 years after placement.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, single-arm, multicenter clinical study was designed to include patients missing 12, 22, 32, 31, 41 or 42 teeth. Implants of 3.0 mm diameter and different lengths were used in the study. One-stage surgery was performed and healing abutments placed during the 6-10 weeks healing period. Clinical and radiographic evaluation was performed at implant installation, loading, and at the 6, 12, 24 and 36-months follow-up visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-three implants were placed in 59 patients. A total of 48 implants were placed in narrow implant-to-tooth spaces (percentile 25, 0.83(0.25) mm), 80 in regular spaces (percentile 25 < x < 75, 1.59(0.26) mm) and 47 in wide spaces (percentile 75, 2.61(0.51) mm). Implant MBL change from restoration delivery to 36 months was of 0.50(0.79), 0.50(0.98) and 0.00(0.55) mm in the narrow, regular and wide distance groups (P = 0.005, Mann-Whitney U-test). Changes in MBL on the adjacent teeth were not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The distance between narrow-diameter implants and the adjacent teeth does not influence the marginal bone levels neither at the implant or the tooth side. In this study, less marginal bone loss occurred in the narrower spaces.
authors.affiliation: Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry Department, School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galindo-Moreno
authors.affiliation: Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry Department, School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Padial-Molina
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, The Institute for Postgraduate Education, Jönköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.affiliation: Restorative Dentistry, University of Bristol Dental School, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Worsaae
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Ulm and Department of Oral and Plastic Maxillofacial Surgery, German Federal Armed Forces Hospital, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schramm
authors.affiliation: Chairman Oral Surgery and Implantology Fondazione IRCSS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maiorana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D019250:Dental Implants, Single-Tooth; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007568:Jaw / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology
keywords: implant; incisor; marginal bone loss; narrow; small diameter