Title
Evaluation of peri-implant soft tissue thickness and its influence on marginal bone loss: A prospective clinical study
Authors
Shilpa Jaiswal1, Kiran Dodani2,*, Ankur Singh Rajpoot2, Pallavi Goswami1, Rajesh Lohiya1 & Kajal Mahajan2
Affiliation
1Department of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry, RKDF Dental College and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India; 2Department of Periodontology, RKDF Dental College and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India; *Corresponding author
Shilpa Jaiswal - E-mail:
drshilpa1110@gmail.com; Phone: +91 8840142156
Kiran Dodani - E-mail: drkasturba79@yahoo.co.in; Phone: +91
7737732117
Ankur Singh Rajpoot - E-mail: dr.ankur87@yahoo.com; Phone: +91
9977555400
Pallavi Goswami - E-mail: drpallavigoswami47@gmail.com; Phone: +91
9012280778
Rajesh Lohiya - E-mail: ramamarketing1@gmail.com; Phone: +91
8600610201
Kajal Mahajan - E-mail: kajalm310@gmail.com; Phone: +91 9096610729
Article Type
Research Article
Date
Received May 1, 2026; Revised May 31,
2026; Accepted May 31, 2026, Published May 31, 2026
Abstract
Peri-implant marginal bone loss remains a critical challenge because the quantitative influence of soft tissue thickness on bone stability is not fully established. Hence, this prospective cohort study evaluated 156 implants in 124 patients, categorizing sites into thin (<2 mm) and thick (≥2 mm) mucosal groups, with bone loss assessed radiographically over 24 months. Mean soft tissue thickness was 1.42 ± 0.38 mm in the thin group and 2.89 ± 0.56 mm in the thick group. At 24 months, marginal bone loss was significantly higher in the thin mucosa group (1.78 ± 0.62 mm) compared to the thick mucosa group (0.67 ± 0.34 mm) (p<0.001), with soft tissue thickness identified as an independent predictor. Thus, thin mucosa was associated with a 3.2-fold increased risk of pathological bone loss, indicating the importance of soft tissue assessment in implant treatment planning.
Keywords
Peri-implant soft tissue, mucosal thickness, marginal bone loss, dental implants, biological width (BW)
Citation
Jaiswal et al. Bioinformation 22(5): 3029-3035 (2026)
Edited by
P Kangueane
ISSN
0973-2063
Publisher
License
This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. This is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
