Evaluation of the clinical and aesthetic outcomes of Straumann(®) Standard Plus implants supported single crowns placed in non-augmented healed sites in the anterior maxilla: a 5-8 years retrospective study

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term aesthetic outcome of the single crowns supported by soft tissue level implants placed in healed sites in the anterior maxilla region via the pink aesthetic score (PES) and the white aesthetic score (WES).

Material and methods: According to the inclusion criteria, patients who had received a single Straumann(®) Standard Plus implant in the anterior maxilla at the Shanghai 9th People's Hospital between 2005 and 2008 were invited for a re-examination based on a number of inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. Clinical, radiographic and aesthetic outcomes (PES/WES) were assessed during their revisit at 5-8 years after crown placement.

Results: Forty-five patients were enrolled in the study. All 45 implants were successfully integrated and most of the implants did not show signs of peri-implant disease at the time of the assessment. The marginal bone resorption was 1.10 ± 0.92 mm. The mean total PES was 8.48 ± 2.62 at the baseline, 9.57 ± 2.37 at the 6-10 months revisit and 9.01 ± 2.45 at the 5-8 years follow-up. The scores of the mesial and distal papillae increased significantly between the baseline and 6-10 months follow-up, this improvement remained stable at the 5-8 years follow-up. The scores of soft tissue level, colour of the soft tissue, soft tissue texture and the alveolar process decreased significantly between the 6-10 months and 5-8 years revisits. The mean WES was 7.83 ± 1.60 at the baseline and 7.72 ± 1.43 at the 5-8 years revisit. There was no significant difference of the WES between the baseline and 5-8 years revisit.

Conclusion: The possibility of spontaneous papillae regeneration after implant treatment and the long-term stability of the regenerated papillae were confirmed. However, recession of the facial soft tissue has been found. The incidence of the recession at thin biotype sites tended to be higher.

Keywords: aesthetics outcome; dental implant; long term; pink aesthetic score; single tooth; soft tissue recession; white aesthetic score.