Restoration of immediately placed implants in 3 appointments: from surgical placement to definitive prostheses

This article describes a comprehensive approach that enables the clinician to place dental implants, and fabricate a provisional prosthesis and a definitive metal-acrylic resin or metal-ceramic fixed complete denture in 3 appointments. This technique allows the practitioner to immediately load the implants with a provisional fixed complete denture at the time of implant placement, to record the relative positions of the implants and soft tissues, the occlusal vertical dimension, maxillomandibular relationship, and tooth position at the second appointment by using the information provided by the provisional fixed denture, and to insert the definitive prosthesis at the third appointment. This technique reduces chair time for both the patient and the clinician, and could ultimately reduce the cost of implant treatment and potentially increase treatment acceptance.