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Purpose: The purpose of this follow-up study was to quantify the change in the periimplant
mucosal level after treatment of edentulous patients with fixed prostheses on
osseointegrated endosseous implants. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients were
included in the study: 10 were treated in the maxilla, and 10 were treated in the
mandible. Both groups had fixed prostheses on osseointegrated Brånemark implants. Periimplant
mucosal level was measured with a calibrated probe after removal of the
prostheses at the 1-year follow-up. These measurements were compared to those made
on the original master casts. Results: A larger mean retraction (–) was observed in the
mandible (–1.6 mm) compared to the maxilla (–0.8 mm), but there was great variation.
The individual values varied from –4.5 to +1.0 mm in the mandible and from –6.0 to
+6.0 mm in the maxilla. Conclusion: Peri-implant soft tissue recession occurs during the
first year in edentulous jaws after treatment with implant-supported fixed prostheses and
more so in the maxilla than the mandible. Int J Prosthodont 2003;16:529–532.
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