Biological effect of the abutment material on the stability of peri‐implant marginal bone levels: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Objectives The primary aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the available evidence on the effect of the abutment material on the stability and health of the peri‐implant hard tissues. Methods A protocol was developed to answer the following focused question: “Which is the effect of the abutment material on stability and health of the peri‐implant hard tissues?” Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs) or prospective case series (CS) with at least 6 months of follow‐up were included, and meta‐analyses were performed to compare abutment materials vs. titanium and to evaluate the impact of various abutment materials on bone changes (primary outcome), probing depth, plaque levels and peri‐implant mucosal inflammation. Results Twenty‐nine publications from 33 investigations were included. Results from the meta‐analyses demonstrated no significant differences between the different abutment materials when compared to titanium, in regard to the changes in marginal bone levels (MBLs) (n = 15; WMD = 0.034; 95% CI [−0.04, 0.10]; p