title: Implant Dentistry: Monitoring of Bacteria Along the Transmucosal Passage of the Healing Screw in Absence of Functional Load.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the changes in bacterial profile along the transmucosal path of healing screws placed immediately after insertion of two-piece endosseus implants during the 4-month osseointegration phase, in absence of functional load.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two site-specific samples were collected at the peri-implant mucosa of the healing screws of 80 two-piece implants, for a total of 640 samples. Implants placement was performed following a single protocol with flapless technique, in order to limit bacterial contamination of the surgical site. Identical healing screws (5 mm diameter/4 mm height) were used for each of the 80 implants. During the 4 months of the study, the patients followed a standard oral care regimen with no special hygiene maneuvers at the collection sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present research documents that during the 4-month period prior to application of function load the bacterial profile of all sites exhibited a clear prevalence of cocci at the interface between implant neck and osteoalveolar crest margin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A potentially pathogenic bacterial flora developed only along the peri-implant transmucosal path.
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Mondovi, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meynardi
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pasqualini
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Venice, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dal Carlo
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Public Health, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baggi
keywords: absence of functional load; bacterial morphological profile; healing screw; transmucosal peri-implant path; two-piece implant