Evaluation of Microgap Size and Microbial Microleakage at the Implant Fixture-Abutment Interface in Original and Compatible Abutments.

Introduction: The microgap between implant and abutment can lead to mechanical and biological problems such as abutment screw breakage or peri-implantitis. The utilization of compatible abutments in place of the original components results in a decrease in costs and provides dentists with a broader selection of abutment options. The purpose of this study was to compare bacterial microleakage and microgap in the Korean Osstem, Dio, and Cis systems, whose regular abutments are compatible with each other. Method: Twelve implant abutments were used in this study, each four from Osstem (Seoul, South Korea), Dio (Seoul, South Korea), and Cis (Medimecca, Seoul, South Korea), all measuring 7 mm in length, 4.5 mm in diameter, and 3 mm in height. These were attached to Osstem fixtures of regular size (4.5 mm diameter and 11.5 mm length), which were contaminated with a bacterial suspension. Bacterial contamination was assessed at 5, 24, and 48 h, while microgap size was measured at four points using an electron microscope. Statistical analyses, including one-way ANOVA and the Kruskal-Wallis tests, were performed by SPSS 17 to evaluate differences in microgap and microleakage among the groups. Results: There is a statistically significant difference between the mean microgap in the Dio group and the other two groups. The mean microgap in the Dio group was higher than both of the other groups (p value < 0.001). There is no statistically significant difference between the mean microgap in the Osstem group and its mean in the Cis group (p value > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the mean number of colonies (CFU) in the study groups at any of the four evaluation times (p value > 0.05). Conclusion: Considering the limitations of this study, it can be inferred that the Cis-compatible abutment is also applicable for use with the Osstem fixtures.