Histology of a dental implant with a platform switched implant-abutment connection

Background: Peri-implant crestal bone must be stable for aesthetic reasons. Aim of this study was a histologic analysis of an implant with a platform switched implant-abutment connection. A 32-year-old male patient participated in this study. The patient needed a bilateral mandibular restoration. Four implants were used, and were immediately restored and loaded the same day of insertion. After a 6 weeks healing period, one implant with platform-switched abutment was retrieved with trephine. Before retrieval the implant was osseointegrated and not mobile. On one side of the implant, a 1 mm resorption of the crestal bone was present. On the contrary, on the other side no bone resorption had occurred and about 1 mm of bone was present over the implant shoulder. The bone-implant contact percentage was 65.1 ± 6.3 %. Platform-switching could help in maintaining the height of the peri-implant crestal bone.