A novel coded healing abutment for a simplified digital workflow: A retrospective clinical study on 103 patients with a one year follow-up.

Objectives: To present the clinical results obtained using a novel coded healing abutment (CHA).

Methods: We evaluated 103 patients with fixed implant-supported zirconia restorations (90 single crowns, 26 partial dentures, and 6 full arches) manufactured via computer-aided-design/computer-assisted-manufacturing and starting from the point of intraoral scans of novel CHAs (i-Physio®, LYRA-ETK, Sallanches, France). Patients were followed for one year. We assessed the clinical precision of the final restorations at delivery (quality, fit, and occlusal and interproximal contacts), as well as hard and soft tissues stability and patient satisfaction at the one-year follow-up. All complications were recorded.

Results: The quality of the restorations was high, with satisfactory marginal fits (96.8% of the cases), occlusal contacts (95.1%), and interproximal contacts (94.3%). Excellent hard and soft tissues stability were found at the one-year follow-up assessment, with few complications (0.9% biological, 4.9% mechanical, and 1.6% technical) for an overall restoration success rate of 92.3% at the patient level and 91.9% at the restoration level. Patient satisfaction was high.

Conclusions: Within the limits of this study (retrospective design, short follow-up time) this novel CHA, with high prosthetic precision and esthetics, was clinically reliable and promoted hard and soft tissue stability. Further studies on a larger sample of patients and a longer follow-up period are needed to confirm these preliminary clinical outcomes.

Clinical Relevance: High prosthetic precision can be achieved when scanning CHAs. CHAs simplify digital impressions, reduce the manipulation of soft tissues, and prepare them for scanning, thereby promoting tissue healing and stability over time. Additionally, CHAs can serve as temporary abutments for immediate, nonfunctional loading.