Platform Switching
A prosthetic design strategy in which an abutment with a smaller diameter than the implant platform is used, thought to minimise crestal bone loss by relocating the microgap inward.
Full Definition
Platform switching (also rendered as 'platform-switching' when used attributively) involves placing a narrower-diameter abutment on a wider implant collar, shifting the implant–abutment junction away from the peri-implant bone. The concept was initially observed incidentally in clinical practice and has since been substantiated by randomised controlled trials demonstrating reduced marginal bone loss compared with matched-diameter abutments. Editors should hyphenate the term when used as a compound modifier ('platform-switching design') and leave it unhyphenated as a noun ('platform switching was employed').
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate as an attributive compound modifier only. Not to be confused with internal connection geometry, which is a separate design feature.
In Context
- "Platform switching was incorporated into the prosthetic design to help preserve peri-implant crestal bone levels." — Prospective cohort study
- "Hyphenate 'platform-switching' only when it precedes and modifies a noun, as in 'platform-switching concept.'" — Editorial style note