Longitudinal analysis on the effect of insertion torque on delayed single implants: A 3-year randomized clinical...

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Oral Surgery

Background:

• Implant stability is often linked to insertion torque.
• Emerging evidence suggests high insertion torque may exacerbate bone resorption around dental implants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of varying insertion torque values on dental implant success.
• To assess the relationship between insertion torque and marginal bone loss.
• To investigate the effect of insertion torque on facial soft tissue recession.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical study involving 116 dental implants in healed sites.
• Two implant groups: self-tapping (90-degree groove) and Blossom™ cutting groove.
• Categorization into high insertion torque (≥50 Ncm) and regular insertion torque (<50 Ncm) groups.
• Assessment of implant success, marginal bone loss (MBL), and facial soft tissue level (FSTL) over 3 years.

Main Results:

• Overall 3-year survival rate was 96.5%.
• Cumulative Success Rate was higher in the Regular IT group (98.2%) compared to the High IT group (91.3%).
• Significantly greater marginal bone loss and soft tissue recession were observed in the High IT group, especially in the mandible.

Conclusions:

• Higher insertion torque, particularly in the mandible, is associated with increased bone resorption and mucosal recession.
• Regular insertion torque values (<50 Ncm) demonstrated superior outcomes regarding bone and soft tissue stability.
• Thick buccal bone walls (≥1 mm) at baseline correlated with reduced soft tissue recession after 3 years.