COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF CRESTAL BONE LOSS AROUND SUBMERGED AND NON-SUBMERGED IMPLANTS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF HEALING ABUTMENT DESIGNS - AN IN VIVO STUDY

Successful osseointegration is observed predictably for submerged implants requiring a two-stage procedure as well as for non-submerged implants characterized by one-stage surgical procedure. This study was aimed at evaluating and comparing crestal bone alterations around submerged and non-submerged implant radiographically. Total 45 patients aged between 20 to 50 years with missing mandibular posterior teeth were divided into 3 groups [Submerged implants (n=15), Non-submerged implants with anatomic healing abutment (n=15) and Non-submerged implants with esthetic healing abutment (n=15)]. Radiographic evaluation of mesial and distal marginal bone loss was done at 1 month and 3 months. Statistically significant differences were found between submerged dental implants and non-submerged dental implants with anatomical type of healing abutment designs (P < 0.001) and between the two non-submerged dental implant groups with different types of healing abutments (P < 0.001) at 1 month and 3 months. But there was no statistically significant difference between submerged dental implants and non-submerged dental implants with esthetic type of healing abutments (P > 0.05) at 1 month and 3 months. It was concluded from this study that bone resorption during the osseointegration period using the non-submerged technique varied significantly depending on the morphology of the healing abutment used. The non-submerged technique with an esthetic healing abutment produced an equally predictable outcome compared with the submerged technique.