PMID- 20467623 OWN - Quintessenz Verlags-GmbH CI - Copyright Quintessenz Verlags-GmbH OCI - Copyright Quintessenz Verlags-GmbH TA - Int J Oral Implantol (Berl) JT - International Journal of Oral Implantology IS - 2631-6439 (Electronic) IS - 2631-6420 (Print) IP - 3 VI - 1 PST - ppublish DP - 2008 PG - 207-220 LA - en TI - Immediate versus early non-occlusal loading of dental implants placed flapless in partially edentulous patients. One-year results from a randomised controlled trial FAU - Merli, Mauro AU - Merli M FAU - Merli, Aldo AU - Merli A FAU - Bernardelli, Francesco AU - Bernardelli F FAU - Lombardini, Francesco AU - Lombardini F FAU - Esposito, Marco AU - Esposito M CN - OT - dental implants OT - early loading OT - immediate loading OT - non-occlusal loading OT - partial edentulism AB - Aims: To compare immediate versus early (6 weeks) non-occlusal loading of dental implants placed flapless in partially edentulous patients 1 year after loading. Materials and methods: Sixty patients were randomised: 30 to the immediately loaded group and 30 to the early loaded group. In order to be immediately loaded, implants were inserted with a minimum torque of >=40Ncm. Implants were fully occlusally loaded after 6 months. Outcome measures were prosthesis and implant failures, and biological and biomechanical complications. Results: Five implants in five patients randomised to the immediately loaded group did not reach the required primary implant stability. Three of these implants (two prostheses) were not immediately loaded. Two patients who were randomised to the early loaded group were immediately loaded erroneously. Implants in five patients of the early loaded group were conventionally loaded. No patient dropped out and there were no failures. Two complications occurred in the early and one in the immediately loaded group (no statistically significant difference), but were solved. Conclusions: The use of a flapless technique for placing dental implants in conjunction with non-occlusal immediate or early loading in selected patients can provide excellent clinical results. No differences were observed when comparing implants that were loaded immediately or early. Therefore, when a high primary implant stability is obtained, it might be preferable to load the implants immediately rather than waiting for a few weeks. AID - 855586