Soft tissues around the dental implants folowing mandibular segmental defect replacement: quantity and quality comparison assessment.

OBJECTIVE

Aim: To compare the quantity and quality of surrounding soft tissues in patients after segmental mandibular defect reconstruction (SMDR) with bone grafts, before and after placement of implant-supported dental prostheses (ISDPs).

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Materials and

Methods

A total of 74 patients were included and divided into main (MG) and control (CG) groups. The MG consisted of patients after SMDR. The CG comprised 49 patients with a Kennedy Class II dental arch defect following tooth extraction. The width and area of attached gingiva (AG) were assessed before and after ISDP placement using intraoral scanning.

RESULTS

Results

After ISDP placement, the mean buccal width of AG at the medial implant was 0.94±0.90 mm in the MG and 2.18±0.95 mm in the CG (p<0.01). In the distal buccal region, the median values were 0 (IQR: 0-1) mm and 1.7 (IQR: 1-6) mm, respectively (p<0.001). The mean lingual width at the medial implant was 1.11±0.99 mm in the MG and 2.24±0.97 mm in the CG, whereas at the distal implant the median values were 0 (IQR: 0-0.6) mm and 2.1 (IQR: 1.5-2.75) mm, respectively (p<0.001). The median area of AG was 63.3 (IQR: 38.9-100.45) mm² in the MG and 233.9 (IQR: 186.75-295.75) mm² in the CG (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Conclusions

Patients after SMDR and placement of ISDP are characterized by lower quality and reduced volume of AG compared to conventionally rehabilitated patients with ISDP. To improve the long-term prognosis of treatment, soft tissue augmentation may be recommended.