A Simplified Prosthetic Implant Loading Protocol: 1-Year Clinical Follow-Up Study

PURPOSE: To retrospectively investigate the one-year clinical outcome following a standardized treatment protocol for immediate loading. The protocol mandates predefined requirements for implant stability. If fulfilled, immediate loading of the implants is performed with a simplified prosthetic protocol which includes one-time impression at the time of surgery and definitive restoration within eight weeks. METHODS: Twenty-five patients were treated with 48 Neoss ProActive Tapered implants. Minimum primary stability was established before subjecting the implants to immediate nonfunctional load. Definitive prostheses were delivered six to eight weeks from implant placement. Insertion torque (IT), resonance frequency analysis (RFA), intraoral radiographs, and impressions of implant positions were registered at implant placement. During clinical follow-up, RFA was measured at two, four, and six to eight weeks and six months from implant placement to monitor continued implant stability. Marginal bone level measurements were performed at implant placement, six-month, and one-year follow-up visits. RESULTS: IT was over 40 N·cm for 46 implants. Two implants with IT <30 N·cm were both splinted to another implant with IT >50 N·cm, tightening the retention screw with low forces. No implants were lost during the observation period. Mean RFA measurements remained stable without any decrease during the initial six-month healing phase. Mean marginal bone remodeling was −0.47 ± 0.38 mm from implant placement to 1 year. No significant difference was found for marginal bone remodeling between implants placed in the healed bone or fresh extraction sockets. CONCLUSION: Within the limits of this study, it is concluded that using a simplified immediate loading protocol can be predictably applied to reduce the overall treatment time and the number of clinical sessions.