Treatment Planning and Placement of Implants in the Posterior Maxillae: Report of 732 Consecutive Nobelpharma Implants

One to nine Nobelpharma osseointegrated implants were placed in the posterior maxillae of 213 consecutive partially edentulous patients. Reconstruction was completed with a ceramic fixed partial denture with follow-up of 5 to 70 months (mean 30.3 months) after loading. Thirty-four implants in 29 patients failed; eight were replaced and one of these failed. Thus, the overall failure rate was 4.8% (35/732). The failure rate in type IV bone was only slightly higher than that in types II and III bone (5.5% versus 4.6%). The failure rate in the entire molar area was 5.3% compared with 4.5% in the premolar area (P = NS), and the failure rate of 7-mm implants was 9.5% compared with 3.8% for implants of all other lengths (P = .01). Keywords: bone quality, bone quantity, implant length, osseointegrated implants, posterior maxillae, treatment planning