Impact of immediate loading on early bone healing at two-piece implants placed in fresh extraction sockets: an experimental study in the beagle dog.

OBJECTIVE

To study early bone healing of immediately loaded implants placed in fresh extraction sockets versus immediate implants without occlusal loading in the dog.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A total of 48 implants were placed in the distal sockets of Pm3 and Pm4 in the lower jaw of 12 Beagle dogs immediately after tooth extraction. In the control group, no loading was applied. In the test group, an immediate loading restoration with occlusal contacts was performed. Dogs were sacrificed at 2, 4 and 8 weeks for histological analysis.

RESULTS

At the end of the study, there was a 100% implant and prosthesis survival. Similar results for test and control groups were observed for bone-to-implant contact (%) and peri-implant bone area. Inter-thread bone area tended to decrease in the control and increase in the test. With respect to ridge alterations, bone resorption was more pronounced on the buccal aspect and was observed in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Immediate loading did not impair early stages of bone healing and crestal bone modelling at two-piece implants in fresh extraction sockets in the beagle dog; however, bone resorption occurred in all specimens in both groups.