Alveolar bone resorption after tooth extraction often creates oblique ridges that challenge implant placement. Conventional flat-platform implants may require bone augmentation or deeper placement, adding complexity. This study evaluated the survival and marginal bone loss (MBL) of sloped-shoulder implants designed to adapt to the angulated alveolar ridge in the posterior mandible. In this study, 48 sloped-shoulder implants were placed in 43 patients between 2012 and 2023, with a mean follow-up of 40.1 months.
The cumulative survival rate reached 93.7%, with mean MBL measuring 0.27 mm at the mesial and 0.39 mm at the distal sites. Most implants (82.2%) showed ≤0.5 mm bone loss, and no significant effect of periodontitis, bruxism, or smoking was found. All failures occurred within the first 24 months. These findings indicate that sloped-shoulder implants provide stable mid-term outcomes…
