Immediate Loading of Mandibular Dental Implants in Partially Edentulous Patients: A Prospective Randomized Comparative Study

While immediate loading in the edentulous mandible is a well-documented procedure, there are limited scientific data on immediate loading in the partially edentulous mandible. Two-year success rates of immediate loading and conventional delayed loading of dental implants in partially dentate mandibles were compared. Patients were randomized into three groups: group A (n = 40), immediate provisionalization with nonocclusal loading; group B (n = 40), immediate provisionalization with occlusal loading; and group C (n = 37), delayed loading with single-stage surgery. Baseline and 2-year measurements included implant stability quotient, insertion torque, and peri-implant bone crest radiography. Two hundred nine implants were immediately loaded in 80 patients. The 2-year success rates were 93.3% for group B and 100% for groups A and C. Immediate provisionalization provided success rates similar to those for delayed loading only when not loaded in occlusion.