Efficiency of immediately loaded mandibular full-arch implant restorations

Background: The concept of immediately loading dental implants in fully edentulous patients offers patients many benefits, including the ability to eat post placement and improved comfort during healing. This approach may also minimize the number of patient visits when compared with the traditional approach of implant placement and healing over a 3‐ to 4‐month healing period. Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the number of treatment visits for patients undergoing traditional implant placement and healing with that of patients receiving immediate implant loading prior to construction of the definitive prostheses. Materials and Methods: This case series evaluated two patient groups. Group 1 consisted of seven patients who were edentulous in the mandible. After implant placement, the implants were covered by oral mucosa during 3 to 4 months of healing. During this time patients wore relined mandibular dentures. Group 2 consisted of seven patients who had their implants immediately loaded with fixed prostheses on the day of implant placement. Results: The implants in both groups were integrated successfully; however, the number of patient visits between implant placement and construction of the definitive prostheses was 38 in the conventionally loaded group and 1 in the immediately loaded group. Conclusions: The group with immediate loading required significantly fewer postoperative visits compared with the conventionally loaded group.