Immediate Loading of Implants in the Partially or Completely Edentulous Jaw

Since its introduction in the late 1990s, immediate implant loading concepts (IL) have become a frequent alternative for delayed implant procedures. IL concepts reduce chair time, the number of surgical interventions and pain, and offer instant comfort to the patient. Its reduced treatment time results in obvious socioeconomic advantages. Although there is at present abundant evidence that supports IL, evaluation of long-term biological and mechanical stability outcomes of large patient populations could allow quality improvement and more accurate patient selection. The Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Department of Dentistry of the General Hospital Saint-John Bruges act as one of the pioneers of IL in Belgium, routinely performing the concept since 2001.

The investigators aim to evaluate the biological and mechanical short- and long-term outcome of IL in partially or completely edentulous patients. Moreover, the investigators aim to detect potential influencing risk factors predicting undesirable prosthetic outcome.

Inclusion criteria

• patients of all ages
• patients of all genders
• patients with partially or complete edentulous jaw
• patients treated at the department between 01/01/2001 and 31/12/2015

Exclusion criteria

• patients not eligible according to abovementioned criteria
• patients who required horizontal bone augmentation procedures of the complete alveolar bone
• patients who required a jaw reconstruction after tumor resection, osteoradionecrosis or medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw