The objective of this study was to evaluate the 5-year radiographic bone loss surrounding implants treated with surface airborne-particle abrasion and acid etching (SA). This retrospective study was conducted at a private clinic in Los Angeles, California, USA, and included 100 patients with a total of 188 implants with an SA surface treatment. Five years after implantation, the patients were radiographically evaluated for bone loss adjacent to the implants. Each radiograph was digitized and uploaded to an online measuring instrument. Bone loss was determined by subtracting the measurements at the 5-year follow-up from the initial measurements acquired from radiographs taken at the time of implant placement. The posterior mandible, posterior maxilla, anterior mandible, and anterior maxilla received 90, 74, 6, and 18 implants, respectively. The average marginal bone vertical remodeling values on the mesial and distal surfaces of the implants were 1.19 mm and 1.25 mm, respectively, which were significantly lower than the 2.3-mm loss previously reported for other implants. Marginal bone remodeling was visible on radiographs; however, the bone levels surrounding the implants remained essentially stable after 5 years of function.
