Immediate Loading of Conical Connection Implants: Up-to-2-Year Retrospective Clinical and Radiologic Study

Purpose: To report the up-to-2-year outcomes of the immediately loaded novel variable-thread tapered implant with an internal conical connection and built-in platform shifting. Materials and Methods: Sixtyfour partially and completely edentulous patients were referred to two private centers for implant treatments between December 2010 and June 2012. Clinical and radiographic parameters were assessed retrospectively; the outcomes were implant and prosthetic failure, marginal bone remodeling, and complications. Results: One hundred forty-eight NobelReplace Conical Connection implants were placed in both postextraction sockets (n = 67) and healed sites (n = 81). One maxillary postextractive implant failed before the definitive prosthesis delivery, accounting for a cumulative success rate of 99.3%. No definitive prostheses failed. A mean marginal bone loss (MBL) of 0.42 ± 1.16 mm and 0.71 ± 1.53 mm was observed between implant placement and the 1-year (n = 147) and 2-year (n = 74) follow-up periods, respectively. In the postextraction sites, the mean MBL was 0.28 ± 0.39 mm and 0.69 ± 0.75 mm at the 1-year (n = 66) and 2-year (n = 50) follow-up periods; in the healed sites, the mean MBL was 0.51 ± 0.88 mm (n = 81) and 0.62 ± 0.80 mm (n = 24), respectively. At the 2-year follow-up session (n = 74), bleeding on probing was 8.3%, and the plaque score was 15.7%. No technical complications were observed. One biologic complication (0.8%) was reported. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study and the relatively short follow-up, the immediately loaded NobelReplace Conical Connection implants demonstrated good treatment outcomes with regard to implant and prosthetic survival rate, MBL, and soft tissue conditions, in both postextraction and healed sites. Keywords: conical connection, dental implant, immediate loading, platform switching, postextraction