Five-year outcomes of a randomized clinical trial comparing bone-level implants with either submerged or transmucosal healing.

Aim: To evaluate the long-term hard and soft tissue peri-implant tissue stability of bone-level implants using a different implant placement protocol (submerged versus transmucosal).

Materials And Methods: This study was partly a subset analysis of a multicentre study where in 40 patients, a single bone-level implant with platform switching and a conical implant-abutment interface was placed either submerged or transmucosal in non-molar sites. Changes in the peri-implant tissues between implant placement and 5 years were assessed clinically and radiologically. Patient-related outcomes were also recorded.

Results: Thirty patients completed the 5-year follow-up. Implant survival rate was 100%. The mean radiographic changes in crestal bone levels between baseline and 5 years were 0.59 (0.92) mm and 0.78 (1.03) mm for the submerged and the transmucosal groups, respectively. No statistical significant differences were found between the groups for any of the investigated variables. Peri-implantitis, defined as changes in the level of crestal bone of ≥2 mm together with bleeding on probing, was only diagnosed in one patient. Patients in both groups were highly satisfied with the treatment received.

Conclusions: Bone-level implants with submerged or transmucosal healing protocols demonstrated similar outcomes after 5 years. Both protocols yielded optimal clinical and radiographic results when bone-level implants were placed in non-molar positions for single tooth replacement.