Title
Comparative evaluation of marginal gap and distortion following repeated healing abutment replacement: A SEM study
Authors
Ankita Agarwal, Varun Kumar* & Meenakshi Choudhary
Affiliation
Department of Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge, Seema Dental College and Hospital, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India; *Corresponding author
Ankita Agarwal - E-mail: ankita.hpgdc@gmail.com
Varun Kumar - E-mail: drvarun_smile@yahoo.co.in
Meenakshi Choudhary - E-mail: drminakshi27mc@gmail.com
Article Type
Research Article
Date
Received August 1, 2026; Revised August 31, 2026; Accepted August 31, 2026, Published August 31, 2026
Abstract
Repeated clinical reuse of healing abutments may compromise the implant–abutment interface, although manufacturer reuse limits remain undefined. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the surface changes and marginal gap formation in 360 healing abutments after repeated placement–removal cycles. Mechanical deterioration increased significantly with reuse, with marginal gaps rising from 5.189 ± 0.407 μm to 12.866 ± 0.606 μm (p < 0.001). Surface pitting, microcracks, thread deformation and marginal discrepancies became evident after repeated cycling and increased with higher reuse frequencies. Thus, data shows the quantitative reuse thresholds that can guide evidence-based clinical protocols to preserve implant–abutment precision and long-term peri-implant health.
Keywords
Dental implants, healing abutment, marginal gap, screw thread, screw head, wear, distortion, surface roughness and scanning electron microscope (SEM), repeated cycles
Citation
Agarwal et al. Bioinformation 22(8): 5002-5007 (2026)
Edited by
Ritik Kashwani
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.
