Effects of disinfection and abutment dis/reconnection on peri-implant tissues: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate clinically (probing depth, gingival bleeding index, plaque index, buccal mucosal margin recession) and radiographically (radiographic bone loss) the effects of the successive dis-reconnections and the chemical and mechanical procedures for disinfecting healing abutments in a randomized clinical trial. Material and methods: Six external hexagonal implants (4.1 mm Ø) and their healing abutments were placed in the edentulous posterior mandible of 11 patients. Three months after surgery five healing abutments were disconnected once every month, for 5 months, and treated differently (immersed in: solution of 70% alcohol; solution of 0.12% chlorhexidine; sprayed with sodium bicarbonate solution; left exposed to air; or replaced by a new one), and one healing abutment was not disconnected; forming 6 different groups of 11 healing abutments. The examiners were calibrated and blinded before the evaluation. Results: The different treatments of healing abutments did not result in statistically significant differences for any of the criteria evaluated (P>0.05). The successive dis/reconnections did not result in statistically significant differences compared with the control group (P>0.05). Conclusion: The treatment of the healing abutments and the number of dis/reconnections performed did not have any significant effect on the peri-implant tissues, at least, 6 months after the initial dis/reconnection.

Keywords

• pilar dentário
• desinfecção
• implante