One-Piece CAD/CAM Abutment for Screw-Retained Single- Tooth Restorations: A 5-Year Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical performance of implant-prosthetic rehabilitations carried out using ceramic-coated CAD/CAM titanium abutments.

Materials and methods: Thirty implants were placed in 30 patients and rehabilitated with 30 single crowns attached to CAD/CAM titanium abutments. A conventional procedure was applied, implants were placed after postextraction socket healing, and prosthetic restorations were placed after implant healing. Implant lengths ranged from 6 to 15 mm, and widths were 3.6, 4.2, and 4.8 mm. At the time of prosthesis delivery (T0), after 2 years (T1), and after 5 years (T2), the Plaque Index (PI), bleeding on probing (BoP), pocket probing depth (PPD), marginal bone level (MBL), and pink/white esthetic scores (PES/WES) were evaluated for each implant.

Results: No patient dropped out of the study during the follow-up period. All 30 implants were clinically successful 5 years after prosthesis delivery (survival rate: 100%) and showed no signs of peri-implant infection. Peri-implant soft tissues were in good health (BoP at T2: 0% in 73% of patients; 25% in 13% of patients; 50% in 10% of patients; and 75% in 3% of patients). The mean PPD was 2.05 ± 0.56 mm at T0, 1.992 ± 0.6 mm at T1, and 1.867 ± 0.439 mm at T2. The mean MBL was 0.413 ± 0.440 mm at T0, 0.306 ± 0.388 mm at T1, and 0.263 ± 0.368 mm at T2. The mean PES, WES, and PES/WES indices (7.43 ± 1.04, 7.57 ± 0.82, and 15.00 ± 1.17, respectively) indicate good integration of soft tissues, satisfactory esthetics, and overall positive outcomes.

Conclusions: The success rates, maintenance of MBLs, and periodontal and esthetic indices suggest the validity of implant-prosthetic rehabilitations with CAD/CAM abutments in cases of single crowns.

Keywords: Implant-prosthetic rehabilitation; CAD/CAM abutments; Single crowns; Clinical performance; Peri-implant soft tissues.