Soft tissue reaction to de novo plaque formation on implants and teeth. An experimental study in the dog

TLDR

The study aimed to evaluate how newly formed plaque affects the gingiva and masticatory mucosa surrounding teeth and implants. Five 15‑month‑old beagle dogs underwent premolar extraction, fixture placement, and a 4‑month plaque‑control period, after which plaque was allowed to accumulate for 3 weeks, followed by clinical exams, biopsies, and histometric analysis of the tissues. Both implant‑adjacent mucosa and tooth‑adjacent gingiva developed comparable inflammatory lesions in response to early plaque, indicating similar susceptibility.

Abstract

The aim of the present investigation was to assess the effect of de novo plaque formation on the gingiva and masticatory mucosa around teeth and implants. The study was performed in 5 beagle dogs which at the initiation of the experiment were 15 months old. During a preparatory period, the mandibular right premolars were extracted, 3 fixtures installed, abutment connection performed and a 4‐month period of plaque control completed. A clinical examination was performed and biopsies of the second mandibular premolar (Pz) and the contralateral implant site (2P) were sampled. The dogs were allowed to form plaque during a period of 3 weeks. The clinical examination was repeated and biopsies harvested from the 2 remaining implants and the contralateral tooth sites. The tissue samples were prepared for histometric and morphometric analysis. Both the masticatory mucosa at implants and the gingiva responded to de novo plaque formation with the development of an inflammatory lesion. The size as well as the composition of the lesions in the 2 tissues had many features in common. It was concluded that the mucosa around implants and the gingiva around teeth had a similar potential to respond to early plaque formation.