title: Immediate versus early non-occlusal loading of dental implants placed flapless in partially edentulous patients: a 3-year randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare immediate versus early non-occlusal loading of dental implants placed flapless in a 3-year, parallel group, randomized clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in a private dental clinic between July 2005 and July 2010. Patients 18 years or older were randomized to receive implants for fixed partial dentures in cases of partial edentulism. The test group was represented by immediate non-occlusal implant loading, whereas the control group was represented by early non-occlusal implant loading. The outcome variables were implant failure, complications and radiographic bone level at implant sites 3 years after loading, measured from the implant-abutment junction to the most coronal point of bone-to-implant contact. Randomization was computer-generated with allocation concealment by opaque sequentially numbered sealed envelopes, and the measurer was blinded to group assignment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty patients were randomized: 30 to the immediately loaded group and 30 to the early loaded group. Four patients dropped out; however, the data of all patients were included in the analysis. No implant failure occurred. Two complications occurred in the control group and one in the test group. The mean bone level at 3 years was 1.91 mm for test group and 1.59 mm for control group. The adjusted difference in bone level was 0.26 mm (CI 95% -0.08 to 0.59, p = 0.1232).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The null hypothesis of no difference in failure rates, complications and bone level between implants that were loaded immediately or early at 3 years cannot be rejected in this randomized clinical trial.
authors: mauromerli@gmail.com
authors: Mauro
authors: M
authors: Merli
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Moscatelli
authors: Giorgia
authors: G
authors: Mariotti
authors: Matteo
authors: M
authors: Piemontese
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Nieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000044:Dental Abutments; D015921:Dental Implants; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D003781:Denture Retention; D003830:Denture, Partial, Fixed; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D057893:Immediate Dental Implant Loading / Q000379:methods*; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016348:Osseointegration; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants