Scalloped Implant

A scalloped dental implant is an older style of implant that was created to biologically facilitate and guide interproximal bone remodeling during procedure healing and to retain papillae and bone height during functional loading. The scalloped implant design includes areas for both soft and hard tissue apposition, which are set parallel to each other, mirroring the cementoenamel junction. The area for the apposition of hard tissue is meant to facilitate osseointegration, while the area for soft tissue is designed to create a space for the subgingival margin of the restoration and to support various connective tissues. While the design was well-intentioned, it did not work as well as expected during application. A study of 17 scalloped implants that were evaluated for 18 months revealed that the scalloped design increased bone loss more than conventional dental implants that were properly placed. There were no differences in papillae formation in the study.