title: Changes in alveolar bone density around immediate functionally and nonfunctionally loaded implants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies compare the radiographic changes in bone density associated with immediate implant loading protocols.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this longitudinal study was to quantitatively assess radiographic changes in alveolar bone density around immediate functionally and nonfunctionally loaded implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in which 20 participants with partially edentulous mandibles received implants that were immediately loaded either functionally (IFL) or nonfunctionally (INFL). Standardized intraoral periapical radiographs were made at baseline, 3, and 6 months. These were digitized and analyzed using the histogram tool of the GNU Image Modulation Program for changes in alveolar bone density at crestal and lateral apical levels around the implant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increase in the mean lateral apical pixel grayscale values of 4.68 ±0.80 at 3 months and 4.15 ±0.29 at 6 months was observed with IFL, while INFL demonstrated an increase of 5.66 ±0.53 at 3 months and 6.07 ±0.59 at 6 months. A decrease in the mean crestal pixel grayscale values of -24.40 ±7.41 with IFL and -16.86 ±5.14 with INFL was found from baseline to 3 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of this longitudinal study, it was concluded that immediate loading stimulated alveolar bone formation at 6 months after implant placement. The immediate functional loading of implants resulted in a significantly greater degree of bone demineralization at the alveolar crest from implant placement up to 3 months compared with immediate nonfunctional loading.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate student, Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dental Sciences, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India. Electronic address: arunramachandran13@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dental Sciences, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Kamleshwar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dental Sciences, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Jitendra
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dental Sciences, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Niraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dental Sciences, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Sunit Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jurel
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dental Sciences, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Kaushal Kishor
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Agrawal
mesh_terms: D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D015519:Bone Density; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D057893:Immediate Dental Implant Loading / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011861:Radiography, Dental; D013997:Time Factors