Subcrestal Placement
Implant positioning in which the implant shoulder is placed below the level of the alveolar bone crest, as opposed to crestal or supracrestal positioning.
Full Definition
Subcrestal placement describes a surgical strategy in which the coronal margin (shoulder or platform) of a dental implant is intentionally positioned apically to the alveolar bone crest, typically by 0.5–2 mm. This approach is used to protect the implant–abutment interface from oral contamination, to accommodate platform-switching designs, and to create additional restorative space. Editors must distinguish subcrestal from crestal and supracrestal placement, as the terms describe the implant shoulder's vertical relationship to the alveolar crest and have different clinical implications for crestal bone maintenance. The term is written as a single unhyphenated word ('subcrestal') following standard anatomical prefix conventions.
Usage
Usage note: Preferred spelling is the closed compound 'subcrestal', not hyphenated. Distinguish clearly from crestal and supracrestal placement in tables and figure legends.
In Context
- "All implants were placed subcrestally at 1 mm below the alveolar crest to accommodate the platform-switching configuration." — Clinical research article
- "The author alternated between 'subcrestal' and 'sub-crestal'; the hyphenated form was standardised to the closed form per journal style." — Copy-editing note