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An Esthetic Evaluation of Different Abutment Materials in the Anterior Maxilla

Now online in the Journal of Prosthodontics, a new clinical trial co-authored by ACP members Konstantinos Vazouras, DMD, DDS, MPhil, MDSc, FACP, Mariam Margvelashvili-Malament, DMD, MS, PhD, FACP, Yong Jeong Kim, DDS, DMD, MS, FACP, and Hans-Peter Weber, DMD, Dr.med.dent.

A single implant restoration in the esthetic zone is often challenging because the restored implant should simulate morphology, shade, surface characteristics, and soft tissue appearance of adjacent as well as contralateral teeth. Customized abutments help create emergence profiles that mimic the appearance of natural teeth, especially in esthetically demanding areas.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of implant abutment material and soft tissue thickness on the peri-implant soft tissue color using spectrophotometry and to evaluate gingival esthetics and patient satisfaction with three different abutments.

Twenty-five patients with a missing maxillary tooth in the esthetic area received an endosseous implant using a two-stage protocol. Gray titanium, pink anodized titanium, and hybrid zirconia custom abutments were fabricated for each participant and inserted for one week with a cross-over design in a randomized manner. Color measurements were made using a spectrophotometer comparing midfacial peri-implant soft tissue and marginal gingiva of the contralateral tooth.

The results showed that abutment material type significantly affected the ΔΕ values of the peri-implant mucosa when compared to the contralateral teeth. The hybrid zirconia abutments demonstrated the best esthetic properties and least color difference, followed by pink anodized and gray titanium abutments, respectively. Pink anodized abutments may represent a good esthetic alternative to zirconia hybrid abutments especially in mechanically challenging situations.

Vazouras K, Gholami H, Margvelashvili-Malament M, et al. An esthetic evaluation of different abutment materials in the anterior maxilla: a randomized controlled clinical trial using a crossover design. J Prosthodont 2022; 1- 8. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopr.13520

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