Comparison of interproximal soft tissue height for single implants and contra-lateral natural teeth.

OBJECTIVE To compare the interproximal soft tissue dimensions adjacent to single implant restorations in the premolar-molar position with those adjacent to the contra-lateral natural teeth. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-five patients with a single-tooth implant in premolar-molar position and healthy contra-lateral teeth were enrolled in this retrospective cross-sectional study. The reason for the extraction was periodontitis. Radiographs were used to measure the shortest distance from the tip of the papilla to the crestal bone in single implants and contra-lateral teeth. A Wilcoxon's signed-ranks test was used to examine the differences between the interproximal soft tissue dimensions adjacent to the single-tooth implant restorations (IS-STI) from those of the contra-lateral natural teeth (IS-NT). RESULTS We found no significant difference between the mesial IS-STI and the mesial IS-NT (3.28+/-0.83/3.31+/-0.62; P=0.861), or between the distal IS-STI and the distal IS-NT (3.09+/-0.72/3.3+/-0.63; P=0.263). CONCLUSIONS The interproximal soft tissue height adjacent to single-implant-supported restorations in the premolar-molar position is similar to that adjacent to the contra-lateral natural teeth.