Abstract: The stability of marginal bone level is an important indicator of long-term success of implants. The mucosal thickness has been studied and discussed as a factor influencing the implant marginal bone loss (MBL). Most clinical and animal studies have demonstrated that there is less implant MBL in the thick mucosa (>2mm) than in the thin mucosa (≤2mm). Based on the speculation that mucosal thickness would be involved in the reconstruction of implant biologic width (BW), thereby affecting implant MBL, the researchers try to adjust clinical implantation procedures according to the initial mucosal thickness. Some scholars have achieved the goal of reducing implant MBL by increasing the thickness of the mucosa, while others have achieved the goal of avoiding early exposure of the implant surface by adjusting the implant depth according to the thickness of the mucosa. The research progress of the effect of initial mucosal thickness on MBL around the neck of implant and its significance for clinical implantation is reviewed as follows in this paper.

Key words: initial mucosal thickness , Marginal bone loss, biologic width , Dental implants