A comparison between immediate loading and immediate restoration in cases of partial posterior mandibular edentulism: a 3-year randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare the survival rate, the bone loss and soft-tissue healing patterns of immediately loaded and immediately restored implants in cases of partial posterior mandibular edentulism.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Fifty patients with partial posterior mandibular edentulism were randomly selected for two treatments: 25 were included in the immediate loading group (test) and 25 in the immediate restoration group (control). All implants were placed in healed sites with a torque of >25 N cm. The temporary prosthesis of the immediate restoration group was placed so as to avoid occlusal contact in centric and lateral excursions. Both groups received fully occluding final restorations 6 months after surgery. Mean marginal bone loss was assessed at 6-, 12-, 24- and 36-month follow-up examinations by a blinded examiner.

RESULTS

A total of 100 implants were placed in the period between February 2004 and October 2006, of which 42 (42%) were for men and 58 (58%) for women. Five and 7 weeks after surgery, mobility of one implant was assessed in one (4%) patient in the test group and one (4%) patient in the control group, respectively. At the 36-month follow-up, the accumulated mean marginal bone loss was 0.987 mm (SD=0.375) for the immediate restoration group (n=48) and 0.947 mm (SD=0.323) for the immediate loading group (n=48). There was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) for the tested outcome measures between the two procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

This study was unable to detect any statistically significant difference in the survival rate, bone loss and soft tissue healing patterns between the immediately loaded and the immediately restored implants in cases of partial posterior mandibular edentulism. The immediate temporary rehabilitation of the partially edentulous posterior mandible is a predictable procedure using both procedures.