Zirconia abutments for single-tooth implant restorations: a 10- to 11-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical outcome of custom-made zirconia abutments for implant-supported single-tooth restorations 10-11 years after insertion.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The study comprises a clinical examination of 23 patients with 30 restorations placed 10-11 years ago. Oral surgeons placed the implants. The prosthodontic treatment was provided at a prosthodontic specialist clinic. The restoration was either an all-ceramic crown for cementation or a screw-retained one-piece restoration with the veneering porcelain baked directly to the zirconia abutment. Besides the clinical and radiographic examination at the 10- to 11-year follow-up, the patients' records were scrutinized regarding clinical and radiographic data from insertion of the restoration up to the last visit at the clinic.

RESULTS

The zirconia abutments performed well. Both technical and biological complications were rare; most patients were in general extremely satisfied with the restorations. No all-ceramic crowns fractured during the observation period. One implant was lost after 5½ years in service. There were no significant differences for changes in any of the soft tissue registrations or the peri-implant marginal bone level between the conventional two-piece abutment-crown restoration and the one-piece restoration. The peri-implant bone level changes from placement to the clinical examination 10-11 years later were small (mean 0.26 mm, SD 0.6 mm).

CONCLUSIONS

Zirconia abutments for single-implant crowns demonstrated excellent technical and biological results over 10-11 years of function, and most patients were extremely satisfied with the aesthetics and the function of their single-implant restorations.