Overall, PPS was effective in reducing gingival recessions with a concomitant improvement in attachment levels. Even though no single treatment can be considered superior to all the others, CTG was statistically significantly more effective than GTR in recession reduction. Further research is needed to identify the factors most associated with successful outcomes.

Sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA) implants were recently introduced to reduce the healing period between surgery and prosthesis. In this split-mouth study, SLA implants were compared to titanium plasma-sprayed (TPS) implants under loaded conditions one year after placement in 32 healthy patients, with comparable bilateral edentulous sites and no discrepancies in the opposing dentition. The surgical procedure was performed by the same operator and was identical at 68 SLA (test) and 68 TPS (control) sites. Tapping was never performed and primary stability was always achieved. Abutment connection was carried out at 35 Ncm 6 weeks postsurgery for test sites and 12 weeks for the controls, by the same dentist blind to the type of surface of the implant. In 4 of the 68 test sites the implant rotated slightly, patients reported minor pain and connection was not completed. Provisional restoration was fabricated and a new tightening was performed after six weeks. Similar gold-ceramic restorations were cemented on the same type of solid abutments on both sites. No implant was lost. Clinical measures and radiographic changes were recorded by the same operator, blind to the type of surface of the implant, 1 year post surgery. No significant differences were found with respect to presence of plaque (24% vs. 27%), bleeding on probing (24% vs. 31%), mean pocket depth (3.3 mm vs. 2.9 mm) or mean marginal bone loss (0.65 mm vs. 0.77 mm). The results suggest that SLA implants are suitable for early loading at 6 weeks. Limited implant spinning may occasionally be found but, if properly handled, it produces no detrimental effect on the clinical outcome.

The results of this study suggest that an onlay osseous graft protected by a Ti-Mesh demonstrated significantly less bone resorption when compared with an onlay bone graft alone. This benefit was reduced in case of short-term mesh exposure, with limited drawbacks.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of a soft tissue dehiscence coverage technique, at single non-submerged implant sites, presenting shallow isolated buccal mucosal recession. Material and methods:Sixteen patients were included in this prospective study. A connective tissue graft (CTG) was harvested from the maxillary tuberosity. The donor soft tissue was de-epithelialized and trimmed with a mucotome for an optimal adaptation to the collar of the implant.

The results of this prospective study confirm that SLA implants, under defined conditions, are suitable for early loading at 6 weeks in both the mandible and the maxilla. Limited implant spinning, occasionally found at abutment connection, produces no detrimental effect on the clinical outcome when properly handled.