Retrospective Study of Tapered One-Piece Implants Placed Over a Ten-Year Period in a Single Private Practice

Today, clinicians have a variety of treatment modalities available to address the increasing number of implant procedures performed each year. Single-stage implant surgery is now commonly used in implant dentistry. With patients' demands for immediate restoration, the utilization of 1-piece implants is gaining acceptance. This article reports the results of tapered 1-piece implants (Zimmer Biomet) placed in a single practice over a 10-year period. A total of 33 1-piece dental implants were placed in 24 patients and provisionally restored out of occlusion at the time of surgery. All 33 implants were definitively restored with ceramometal crowns after 3 months of provisionalization. Implant survival and success rates were 100% after 2.6-10 years of follow-up. Only 1 minor complication of crestal bone remodeling occurred among the 33 implants placed. Adequately stabilized tapered 1-piece implants can be successfully restored out of occlusion at the time of implant placement and definitively loaded in occlusion 3 months without adversely affecting function or esthetics. Additional long-term controlled studies are recommended to further understand these findings.