Effect of undersized drilling on the stability of immediate tapered implants in the anterior maxillary sector. A randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effect of undersized drilling on the primary and secondary stability of immediate implants placed in the anterior maxilla. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comparative randomized clinical trial was carried out in 30 healthy adults. Thirty tapered implants, 16 involving conventional drilling and 14 undersized drilling, were placed immediately after anterior maxillary tooth removal. Insertion torque and implant stability assessed by resonance frequency analysis (RFA) were evaluated at three different timepoints: at implant placement and 6 and 12 weeks post-implantation. The results were compared using parametric statistical tests. RESULTS: All implants showed adequate stability during follow-up. At implant placement, the undersized drilling group exhibited greater insertion torque values than the conventional drilling group, but stability assessed by RFA showed greater mean values in the conventional group. After 6 and 12 weeks of follow-up, both groups showed improved stability, though the RFA values remained comparatively higher in the conventional group. The differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results obtained, undersized drilling does not appear to afford significantly improved stability of immediate implants placed in the anterior zone of the maxilla during the osseointegration period. Key words:Insertion torque, RFA, undersized drilling, immediate implants, primary stability, secondary stability.