Implant supported single-tooth replacements compared to contralateral natural teeth - Crown and soft tissue dimensions

The aim of this study was to make a comparative evaluation of crown and sof t tissue dimensions between implant-supported single-tooth replacements and the contralateral natural tooth. Twenty patients, who had been treated wit h an implant-supported single-tooth replacement in the esthetic zone of the maxillary jaw and had i) a non-restored contralateral natural tooth and ii ) completed the implant-supported crown restoration at least 6 months prior to the scheduled follow-up examination, were included in the study. At the re-examination various variables describing crown form, soft tissue dimens ions and soft tissue conditions were assessed. In addition, the patient's o verall satisfaction with the esthetic outcome of the implant-supported sing le crown was scored using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). In 12 of the subje cts clinical photographs were available from the time of crown insertion fo r evaluation of longitudinal alterations of the papilla height. The results revealed that, in comparison to the contralateral natural crown, the impla nt supported crown i) was longer, ii) had a smaller facio-lingual width, ii i) was bordered by a thicker facial mucosa, iv) had a lower height of the d istal papilla, v) showed a higher frequency of mucositis and bleeding on pr obing and vi) showed greater probing depths. The longitudinal evaluation of the papillae adjacent to the implant crown showed an improved proximal sof t tissue fill at the follow-up examination. The VAS scoring of the patients ' satisfaction with the appearance of their single implant-supported restor ations revealed a median value of 96% with a range from 70 to 100%. Hence, observed differences in clinical crown height and soft tissue topography be tween implant-supported single-tooth replacements and the contralateral nat ural tooth may in most patients be of minor importance for the appreciation of the esthetic outcome of implant therapy.