BACKGROUND Immediate or early loading of dental implants becomes a clinically feasible concept. PURPOSE The aim was to evaluate the effects of different loading protocols (immediate, early, and delayed) on… Click to show full abstract
BACKGROUND Immediate or early loading of dental implants becomes a clinically feasible concept. PURPOSE The aim was to evaluate the effects of different loading protocols (immediate, early, and delayed) on secondary stability and peri-implant bone density of single implants in the posterior maxilla. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-nine implants (Dentium, South-Korea) were placed in 39 patients. After placement, implant stability values (ISQ) and baseline peri-implant bone density values derived from cone-beam computed tomography were recorded. Thirteen implants were included randomly in each loading groups. The secondary ISQ values were recorded during follow-up visits. Peri-implant bone density values were measured 1 year after placement again. Data was statistically analyzed. RESULTS Immediate-loaded group showed the lowest ISQ values, 1 month after placement. During the next follow-up visits, delayed-loaded group showed the lowest ISQ values while other groups showed comparable results. Early loading increased the peri-implant bone density greater than the other groups. CONCLUSIONS The peri-implant bone of early-loaded implants was significantly denser than that of immediate- and delayed-loaded implants, 1 year after placement. Density increment can be judged as the radiological findings of loaded-bone, which may also reduce the need for histomorphometric analysis of human biopsy to evaluate the bone reaction around the implants.
               
Click one of the above tabs to view related content.