A clinical study of the efficacy of gold-tite square abutment screws in cement-retained implant restorations.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to record the effectiveness of Gold-Tite square abutment screws, tightened to 35 Ncm with a torque indicator, in maintaining a clinically stable implant/abutment connection. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study consisted of 73 patients who were treated with 110 Osseotite implants. All patients were restored with either pre-machined titanium or customized UCLA hexed abutments. All abutments were fabricated per the Gold Standard ZR abutment design of Implant Innovations. All of the abutment screws were Gold-Tite square abutment screws. They were torqued to 35 Ncm with a torque indicator at the time of abutment connection. All crown restorations were cemented to the abutments. Patients were followed for at least 1 year post-occlusal loading. RESULTS Four patients with 6 implants were lost between the 6- and 12-month recall appointments. Clinical assessments of implant/restoration mobility were made by the author. One abutment screw was found to be loose at the 12-month recall appointment, representing a 99% survival rate. DISCUSSION These results add to the growing evidence that abutment screws with enhanced surfaces may provide increased screw/implant contact, higher rotational values, and calculated preload values. CONCLUSION The use of the Gold-Tite square abutment screws, torqued to 35 Ncm, maintained a stable implant/abutment connection that was successful in clinical practice for this minimal evaluation period.