title: Immediate loading of 2 (all-on-2) flapless-placed mandibular implants supporting cross-arch fixed prostheses: interim data from a 1-year follow-up prospective single cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical outcome of 2 implants placed flapless in fully edentulous mandibles and immediately restored with a metal-resin screw-retained cross-arch prosthesis 1 year after loading.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty consecutive patients were recruited. To be immediately loaded, implants had to be inserted with a minimum torque of 80 Ncm. Outcome measures, evaluated by two independent assessors, were prosthesis and implant failures, complications, marginal bone level changes, implant stability quotient (ISQ) values and patient satisfaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Flaps were raised in 7 patients. Twelve implants in 7 patients did not reach the planned insertion torque. Four implants in 3 patients were immediately replaced by larger diameter implants and achieved the desired torque, whereas the remaining implants were immediately loaded anyway. Two implants failed early in 2 patients, but were successfully replaced and their prostheses remade. One month after loading, 72 (90%) patients declared to be completely satisfied with the therapy, 7 (9%) partially satisfied and 1 (1%) unsatisfied. One year after loading, all prostheses were in function, though one patient did not attend the 1-year control. Eight (10%) complications occurred, all successfully treated. After 1 year, the mean marginal bone loss was 0.3 mm and mean ISQ values decreased from 75.4 to 72.4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These short-term results at 1 year after loading suggest that immediately loaded mandibular cross-arch fixed prostheses can be supported by only 2 dental implants. Longer follow-ups (around 10 years) are needed to know the prognosis of this treatment modality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology and Implantology, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Gioacchino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cannizzaro
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Felice
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giorgi
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazzarini
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000145:classification; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015921:Dental Implants; D017268:Dental Prosthesis Retention; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D003779:Denture Design; D003781:Denture Retention / Q000295:instrumentation; D003826:Denture, Complete, Lower; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D057893:Immediate Dental Implant Loading / Q000379:methods*; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016348:Osseointegration / Q000502:physiology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019415:Torque; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants