Immediate loading of post-extractive single-tooth implants: a 1-year prospective study

PurposeThe aim of this prospective clinical trial was to assess clinical, radiological, and esthetic outcomes of immediate-loaded post-extractive implants after 1year of follow-up. Materials and MethodsTwenty-four consecutive patients (15 females and nine males) with a mean age of 47.27years (range 35-65) requiring single-tooth extraction in the maxillary or mandibular anterior or premolar areas were enrolled. Twenty-five NobelActive((R)) implants (Nobel Biocare, Goteborg, Sweden) were placed and loaded immediately after tooth extraction. The definitive prosthetic restoration was delivered 6months later. Clinical parameters, marginal bone loss, as well as, pink and white esthetic scores (PES and WES) were evaluated at 3, 6, and 12months after implant placement. ResultsAfter 12-month follow-up period, a success rate of 91.67% was reported: Two of the 25 initially placed implants were lost after 4weeks due to lack of osseointegration. The mean marginal bone loss after 1-year follow-up was 0.383 (SD0.749) at mesial site and 0.278 (SD +/- 0.595) at distal site. No statistically significant changes in the full-mouth plaque score (FMPS) and in the full-mouth bleeding score (FMBS) were observed from baseline to 12months. The mean total PES/WES was 17.13 +/- 1.91 (range: 13-20). None of 23 implants had an overall score <12 (threshold of clinical acceptability). ConclusionWithin the limitations of the present study, when careful patient selection and strict clinical protocol are observed, the immediate placement and loading of a single NobelActive implant in a fresh extraction socket may be considered a valuable and predictable option in terms of implant success as well as hard and soft tissues stability.