platform switching
A restorative design concept in which an abutment with a smaller diameter than the implant platform is connected, shifting the implant–abutment junction inward to preserve crestal bone.
Full Definition
Platform switching describes the deliberate mismatch between a wider implant platform and a narrower-diameter abutment, first observed incidentally when wider-platform implants were restored with standard-width components. The horizontal discrepancy repositions the microgap and associated inflammatory infiltrate away from the crestal bone, which is associated with reduced marginal bone loss over time. The term is hyphenated as a compound modifier when used attributively (e.g., 'platform-switching design') but unhyphenated as a noun phrase. Editors should be alert to variant spellings 'platform shifting' and 'platform mismatch', which are used synonymously in some literature. This concept is distinct from 'platform matching', its functional antonym.
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier before a noun; leave open as a noun phrase. Do not confuse with 'platform matching', which describes a same-diameter connection and is the conventional approach.
In Context
- "Platform switching was employed to minimize crestal bone resorption around the 5.0 mm diameter implants restored with 4.0 mm abutments." — Retrospective clinical study
- "The prosthetic protocol section must clarify whether a platform-switching or platform-matching connection was used." — Journal manuscript review note