Marginal Bone Loss in Dental Implants Subjected to Early Loading (6 to 8 Weeks Postplacement) With a Retrospective Short-Term Follow-Up

Purpose

To evaluate the success rate and marginal bone loss in dental implants loaded after 8 weeks in the maxilla and after 6 weeks in the mandible, after 1 year of follow-up.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective case series study was made. The sample was composed of subjects having 1 or more implants placed and loaded early between 2004 and 2006. Success rate was evaluated following Buser’s criteria. A protocol was made in which patient age, gender, implant location, diameter and length, type of bone, type of prosthesis, and the location of the opposing teeth were collected. Marginal bone loss was evaluated after 1 year of loading on intraoral x-ray findings. A statistical analysis was made to process the variables.

Results

A total of 106 dental implants were positioned in 30 patients, in whom 102 prostheses were placed. The fixation success rate was 98.1%; mean bone loss was 0.58 mm after 1 year of loading. The factors seen to exert a significant influence on bone loss were the zone of the arch and the teeth opposing the implant.

Conclusion

The recorded success rate and bone loss were similar to the values reported in the literature, thus supporting early loading as a safe and predictable procedure that allows a reduction in treatment time.