Overview

This study is looking at the benefits of using a laser-etched abutment during dental implant treatment. An abutment is the connector, usually made of titanium, which is placed on top of the implant during implant surgery. It is designed to hold and connect the crown (usually made of porcelain or metal) to the implant. The fusion of the dental implant and abutment with the surrounding jaw bone (osseointegration) is critical, and this study hypothesizes that use of an abutment whose surface has been etched with a laser will enhance the attachment of the abutment to the surrounding bone and tissue and optimize healing.

The goal of this research is to compare the healing process when using a non-laser-etched abutment, versus a laser-etched abutment.

Study Information

This clinical trial has an estimated enrollment of 20 participants. Each subject will receive two implants. One implant will randomly receive a standard titanium healing abutment that is not laser-etched. The other implant will receive a laser-etched (“Laser-Lok”) abutment. Subjects will then be subdivided into groups and biopsies, about the size of a grain of rice, will be taken and analyzed in order to identify cellular changes in response to laser-etching. Participants will return to the clinic after 8 weeks,12 weeks and again after a year. 

Inclusion Criteria

• Adult, able to provide informed written consent and available for 1 year follow-up visit
• Have 2 edentulous (toothless) sites requiring single tooth implants for restoration in two separate quadrants
• Implant sites must be restorable with 4.2mm diameter implants
• Have natural teeth adjacent (at least unilaterally) to proposed implant sites
• Able to pay for implant crowns at UIC College of Dentistry postgraduate fees to complete treatment

Exclusion Criteria

• Uncontrolled/rampant caries or periodontal disease
• Unable to demonstrate adequate home oral hygiene
• smoker within the past 6 months
• ASA Class 3+, immune-compromised
• Pregnant or planning to become pregnant within 6 months
• Severe bruxism
• History of bisphosphonate use
• Bone grafting required for implant placement
• Missing tooth is too small to be restored using a 4.2mm implant

Location

This study is taking place at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry, Clinical Research Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612. For further information, please contact Susan D Ferguson on 312-996-7226 or at DentCRC@uic.edu. 

Sponsors/Collaborators

This study is sponsored by the University of Illinois at Chicago and BioHorizons, Inc. The Principal Investigator is Lyndon F Cooper, DDS, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.