Bone assessment around the delayed dental implant with and without preformed anatomical caps: A 1-year retrospective case-control study

Purposes: To investigate the amount of first-year peri‑implant bone loss and the development of the papillae when delayed dental implants loaded with anatomic cover screw and those underwent conventional healing protocol were compared. Methods: Edentulous healed sites had undergone delayed implants placement. In the anatomical cap group, patients were treated with a guided tissue healing, tooth-like cross-linkable acrylic resin caps had been immediately screwed on dental implants. The marginal loss of the alveolar bone height 1 year after surgery and Jemt's papillae index were obtained. Non-parametric statistics were performed with a level of significance of 1% RESULTS: Forty patients were included in the present retrospective analysis. After a follow-up of 1 year, none of the 40 included implants showed a failure. The Jemt's papilla index was 1.76±0.44 and 1.34±0.50 respectively for guided tissue healing and conventional healing group, without any significant difference. Within the first year of survey a bone loss of -1.27±0.26 mm for conventional healing treatment showed a statistically significant difference (p-value<0.0001) when it was compared to the negligible of the other group (-0.06±0.31 mm). Conclusions: A guided healing procedure with preformed caps seemed to give better outcomes regarding marginal bone loss and papilla index than those of conventional abutments.