Five-year Clinical Status of Dental Implants after Immediate Loading

Five-year Clinical Status of Dental Implants after Immediate Loading
14 March 2003
I. LEE1, A.M. POLSON2, D. SHARKEY2, A.P. POLSON2, H. SALAMA2, L. MINSK2, L. ROSE2, and M. FELDSTEIN3
IADR
Objectives: This 5 year report compares the clinical status of immediately loaded, bilaterally splinted, ITI one-stage implants with delayed-loaded splinted implants. Methods: 24 patients with edentulous mandibles have been participating in this on-going single center feasibility study and were randomized 2:1 into test (16 patients) and control (8 patients) groups at Baseline (Salama et al. 1998). At baseline surgery, mandibular interforaminal sites received 5 implants, and test group (ǃ?immediate loadingǃ?) had implants loaded within 1-2 weeks with a crossarch fixed bridge. Control group (ǃ?delayed loadingǃ?) had implants loaded after conventional healing (3-4months). A blinded, calibrated examiner measured comprehensive clinical parameters at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54 and 60 months after loading. Statistical comparisons within and between the groups across time were made using paired (within) and unpaired (between) techniques correcting for baseline values. Results: At 5 years, 21 subjects remain in the study. In the test group, 65 implants (100% of post-loading population) remain supporting the bridgework. In the control group, 40 implants (100% of post-loading population) remain. Between group comparisons showed no significant differences between any of the parameters in the immediately-loaded test (T) group compared with control (C) group: Mean plaque index (T= 0.9; C= 1.2), sulcus bleeding index (T= 0.2; C= 0.3), mucosal margin level (T= -0.1 mm; C= 0.3mm); probing depth (T= 2.1mm; C= 2.3 mm), attachment level (T= 2.2 mm; C= 2.0 mm), or periotest (T= -2.0; C= -2.4). Conclusions: These overall findings indicated comparable clinical conditions for plaque, sulcus bleeding, mucosal margins, probing depth, attachment level and periotest scores around the immediately and delayed-loaded implants at 5 years. Supported by ITI Straumann.