Flapless immediate implant placement with or without immediate loading: a histomorphometric study in beagle dog

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Oral Surgery
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Immediate implant placement offers potential advantages in reducing treatment time.
• Immediate loading of dental implants is a debated topic regarding its effect on osseointegration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare osseointegration following flapless immediate implant placement with and without immediate loading.
• To assess the histomorphometric outcomes of immediate implant procedures in an animal model.

Main Methods:

• Six beagle dogs received four flapless implants each in the lower jaw, immediately after tooth extraction.
• One side underwent immediate implant placement (control), while the contralateral side received immediate prosthesis with occlusal contact (test).
• Histomorphometric analysis was performed after 3 months of healing.

Main Results:

• No implant or prosthesis loss occurred in either group.
• Bone-to-implant contact (BIC %) was statistically similar: 82.72% (test) vs. 76.96% (control).
• Inter-thread bone area and peri-implant bone area also showed no significant differences between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Flapless immediate implant placement, with or without immediate loading, can achieve successful osseointegration.
• The study supports the feasibility of immediate loading in specific clinical scenarios within extraction socket confines.
• Osseointegration is not compromised by immediate loading when implants are appropriately placed.