Immediate loading of dental implants supporting fixed partial dentures in the posterior mandible: a randomized...

A split-mouth study was conducted to compare dental implants with either machined or titanium oxide (TiO) surfaces immediately loaded with fixed partial dentures in the posterior mandible.

Ten patients with bilateral partial edentulism in the posterior mandible received 42 implants; 20 on the test (TiO) and 22 on the control (machined) side. The implants were loaded within 24 hours postsurgery. At implant placement the maximum insertion torque (IT) was recorded. Implant stability quotient (ISQ) was also evaluated at baseline (day 0) and 1, 2, 4, 12, 24, and 52 weeks following implant placement. The radiographic bone level (RBL) change was measured on periapical radiographs at baseline and 12 months after loading. Means for the 2 groups were compared by paired t test.

The overall implant success rate was 95%. No implants were lost in the test group; 2 failed in the control group. The difference between the groups in RBL change after 1 year of function was not statistically significant (P = .224). However, average RBL change for machined implants in distal positions was significantly higher than for TiO surface implants in the same position (post-hoc comparison; P = .048). ISQ and peak IT values did not differ between the groups (P = .414 and P = .762, respectively). The high IT necessary to insert the implants did not seem to affect the RBL change (P = .203).

No significant difference was observed between machined and TiO implant surface in terms of RBL change or ISQ, although TiO implants may provide a lower RBL change compared to machined implants when utilized in the distal position. Immediate loading of implants using fixed partial dentures in posterior mandible may be considered as a treatment option if implants are inserted with IT > or = 20 Ncm and ISQ > or = 60 into nonaugmented bone and loaded with light centric occlusal contact.