Single geometry abutment for narrow and extra-narrow implant systems: Survival and failure modes

• Published in: Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials 2023-07, Vol.143, p.105872-105872, Article 105872
• Main Authors: Gutierres, Eliezer, Bergamo, Edmara Tatiely Pedroso, Carvalho, Laura Firmo, Coelho, Paulo G., Campos, Tiago Moreira Bastos, Piza, Mariana Miranda de Toledo, Lopes, Adolfo Coelho de Oliveira, Benalcazar Jalkh, Ernesto Byron, Bonfante, Estevam Augusto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Crowns; Dental implants; Dental Restoration Failure; Dental Stress Analysis; Failure; Incisor; Materials Testing; Prostheses and implants; Reproducibility of Results; Titanium; Zirconium
• ISSN: 1751-6161; 1878-0180
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.105872

The use of identical prosthetic components for all implant diameters could reduce the production costs by companies and the complexity of component selection for the clinician and his team. However, it would imply in reduction of thickness of the cervical walls of tapered internal connection implants, which could compromise the reliability of narrow and extra-narrow implants. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the probability of survival and failure modes of extra-narrow implant systems with the same internal diameter as standard-diameter implants using the same prosthetic components. It was used eigth different implant system configurations, including narrow (Ø 3.3 mm) (N) extra-narrow (Ø 2.9 mm) (EN) and extra-narrow-scalloped (Ø 2.9 mm) (ENS) implants, both with cementable abutments (Ce) or titanium bases (Tib) and one-piece implants (Ø 2.5 mm and Ø 3.0 mm) (OP) (Medens, Itu, SP, Brazil), comprising the following groups: OP 3.0; OP 2.5; N Ce; N Tib; EN Ce, EN Tib, ENS-Ce and ENS-Tib. The implants were embedded using polymethylmethacrylate acrylic resin in a 15 mm matrix. Standardized maxillary central incisor crowns were virtually designed and milled to fit on the different studied abutments and cemented using a dual self-adhesive resin cement. The specimens were submitted to SSALT (Step Stress Accelerated Life Testing) at 15 Hz in water until failure or suspension of the test, until a maximum load of 500 N. Fractographic analysis of the failed specimens were realized in scanning electron microscopy. All implant systems demonstrated high probability of survival (90–100%) for missions at 50 and 100 N and values of characteristic strength superior to 139 N. Failure modes were restricted to the abutment in all the implant configurations tested. Therefore, the use extra-narrow implants with standardized prosthetic components for different implant diameters is a viable option for the replacement of anterior teeth. [Display omitted] •Extra-narrow implants with same abutments of narrow implants were tested.•Probability of survival and failure modes of the implants were evaluated.•All implants configurations presented high probability of survival.•The failure mode was identical for all implants, confined to abutments.