Attached Gingiva & Peri-Implant Bone Loss: 5-Year Insights Despite long-standing emphasis on the width of attached gingiva as a determinant of peri-implant health, emerging evidence continues to challenge its independent role in preventing marginal bone loss. In a 5-year retrospective evaluation of 107 patients with 330 implants, outcomes including marginal bone loss (MBL), plaque index, gingival index, and probing depth were assessed in relation to gingival width. While initial findings showed greater mean MBL in sites with <2 mm attached gingiva ( 2.17 ± 2.28 mm vs 1.64 ± 1.84 mm; p=0.045 ), this association did not persist after multivariable adjustment.
Instead, patient-related factors—particularly smoking—emerged as significant predictors of peri-implant bone loss. With 79.7% of implants presenting ≥2 mm gingiva and nearly half showing <1 mm MBL , the findings suggest that clinical…
