Relation of CAD/CAM zirconia dental implant abutments with periodontal health and final aesthetic aspects; A systematic review

J Clin Exp Dent. 2023 Jan 1;15(1):e64-e70. doi: 10.4317/jced.59878. eCollection 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Using dental implants to replacing missing teeth and satisfy both functional and aesthetic needs is one of the mainstream dental treatments. New approaches including computer-aided design and computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) have been introduced to improve these elements. This systematic review aimed to compare CAD/CAM zirconia (Zr) implant abutments with other available abutments in terms of peri-implant health and aesthetics.

Material and methods: Five electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, and Embase) were scoured for clinical studies evaluating Zr abutments reporting on the outcomes of interest including interproximal papilla stability (PS), papilla recession (REC), pink and white esthetic score (PES, WES), marginal bone level (MBL), color, and soft tissue contour. A hand searches in English language journals until September 2020 complemented the search. Two tools of Joanna Briggs Institute and Jaded Score calculation were used for the risk of bias assessment. No quantitative synthesis of the data was done due to high heterogeneity.

Results: A total of six studies from the 412 ones obtained from the search were included. The study designs were either prospective cohort (n=3) or randomized clinical trial (n=3). Papilla fill, WES, PES, and the distance from the bone crest of adjacent teeth to the contact point (CPB) and inter-tooth-implant distance (ITD) was not significantly different between Zr CAD/CAM and Zr stock abutments. However, soft tissue stability and REC index were better in Zr CAD/CAM abutments.

Conclusions: Higher soft tissue stability can be achieved for Zr compared to titanium abutments with either stock or CAD/CAM abutments. Key words:Dental implants, Dental abutment, Computer-Assisted Design, Computer-Aided Manufacturing, Zirconia abutment, Soft tissue stability.

Publication types

  • Review