Design Implant Prosthesis for long – term success: Dissecting the Evidence

Abstract:

Dental Implants are no longer perceived as metal constructions passively anchored in bone. On the contrary, implants are shown to be biologically active systems, in constant interrelation with human tissue and microbes, supporting function and aesthetics in a delicate balance between biology and technology. It is exactly this interrelation between living tissue, precision-constructed biomaterials and microbes which determines long term treatment success. In no other part is this interrelation more crucial than within the Implant Supracrestal Complex, the small area defined between the bone crest and the mucosal margin.

This human-engineered construct accommodates the peri-implant tissue, the oral bacteria but also the most critical prosthetic parts of the implant reconstruction. It comes as no surprise consequently, that studies have identified this space as the birthplace of the most common long-term complications of both the biological and the technical type. Emerging evidence has identified several design elements of the prosthesis as critical determinants of long-term success or predispositions to peri-implant tissue inflammation.

In this presentation, we will discuss the comprehensive concept of the Implant Supracrestal Complex and dissect the evidence on how our design choices can impact tissue health and clinical outcomes in the long term. Furthermore, we will aim to identify design features and conditions that give rise to peri-implant tissue inflammation and derive strategies to safeguard long term success.