Veneered zirconia abutments cemented on non-original titanium bases: 1-year results of a prospective case series.

OBJECTIVES: To assess clinical, technical, and esthetic outcomes of veneered zirconia reconstructions cemented on non-original titanium bases over 1 year. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four healthy patients presented with one missing tooth in the anterior maxilla or mandible and received a two-piece dental implant. The implants were restored with a screw-retained crown using a directly veneered zirconia reconstruction, which was extraorally cemented on a titanium base. After crown insertion, patients were scheduled for a baseline examination and re-examined at 6 months and at 1 year of loading. Measurements included biological, technical, and esthetic parameters. Data were analyzed with nonparametric tests. RESULTS: Mean marginal bone levels measured 0.54 +/- 0.39 mm (median: 0.47, range: 0.07-1.75 mm) at baseline and 0.54 +/- 0.45 mm (median: 0.44, range: 0.06-1.52 mm) at 1 year. Mean probing depth (PD) (3.0 +/- 0.6 mm at baseline to 3.5 +/- 0.7 mm at 1 year [p = 0.002]), bleeding on probing (BOP) (27.1% +/- 20.7% at baseline to 43.9% +/- 28.0% at 1 year [p = 0.041]), plaque index (PI) (11.1% +/- 21.2% at baseline to 18.2% +/- 21.8% at 1 year [p = 0.381]) increased, whereas the width of the keratinized mucosa decreased from baseline to 1 year (3.1 +/- 1.3 mm at baseline to 3.0 +/- 1.2 mm at 1 year [p = 0.398]). Four implants (16.7%) were diagnosed with peri-implantitis (BOP positive, bone loss >1 mm) during the 1-year observation period. One implant was lost at 3 (1/2) months, resulting in a 95.8% survival rate. Four technical complications occurred and led to 83.3% complication-free reconstructions. CONCLUSION: A significant increase in PD and BOP values was observed using directly veneered zirconia reconstructions cemented on non-original titanium bases.