Do influence of immediate implant loading on peri-implant soft tissue morphology in the edentulous maxilla?
Clinically, it has been observed that the placement of an immediate provisional affects the peri-implant tissue morphology according to its emergence profile. The result after treatment was a wider contour of the peri-implant soft tissue, located in a more apical position than the original mucosal level. The most coronal part of the papilla-like mucosa at interproximal sites would be nearest to the original mucosal level before treatment. The scalloped mucosal configuration obtained was consistent along the rehabilitated arch. Statistically significant dimensional changes of the peri-implant mucosa were observed with an immediate loading approach.
These features lead unequivocally to the diagnosis of a stage IV IP skin lesion. Consequently, histology is a major confirmatory criterion for diagnoses of these mild clinical forms of IP. It is therefore a useful tool in genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis. Moreover, the observations described here may contribute to understanding the physiopathology of the late stages of IP.