Microgap: Does it produce a bacterial reservoir?

Several studies seem to support the notion that the junction between the abutment and implant fixture could harbor bacteria, and thereby become a potential source of infection and inflammation. The obvious question appears to be which types of connections have the smallest microgaps between the abutment and implant, and would these differences minimize bacterial colonization? A recent study ¹ aimed to tackle this very question.

The study concluded:

In both types of Morse Cone internal connections, there was no detectable separation at the implant-abutment in the area of the conical connection, and there was an absolute congruity without any microgaps between abutment and implant. No line was visible separating the implant and the abutment. On the contrary, in the screwed abutment implants, numerous gaps and voids were present…The results of this study support the hypothesis that different types of implant-abutment joints are responsible for the observed differences in bacterial penetration.

What do you think of the microgap issue? Does it matter in the long-term?

Read the Full Abstract Here

1. Implant Dent. 2016 Oct;25(5):656-62. Implant-Abutment Contact Surfaces and Microgap Measurements of Different Implant Connections Under 3-Dimensional X-Ray Microtomography. .Scarano A, et al.