Immediate Versus Delayed Loading of Dental Implants in the Anterior Maxilla

This interventional comparative clinical study was conducted to evaluate and compare the clinical stability and radiographic outcomes of immediate versus delayed loading of dental implants placed in the anterior region of the maxilla. Immediate loading protocols have been shown to improve oral health-related quality of life and patient satisfaction; however, their influence on implant stability and osseointegration remains an area of ongoing investigation.

A total of sixteen dental implants were placed and the participants were randomly allocated into two equal groups using a computer-generated randomization method (www.Randomizer.org). In Group I (control group), eight implants were placed and restored following a delayed loading protocol, with prosthetic loading performed six months after implant placement. In Group II (study group), eight implants were placed and immediately loaded with provisional polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) restorations. After six months, the provisional restorations were replaced with definitive fixed prostheses.

Preoperative planning of implant placement was performed using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Clinical evaluation of implant stability was carried out using the Osstell device, while radiographic assessment of peri-implant bone density and marginal bone changes was performed using standardized indirect digital radiographs. Radiographic evaluations were obtained immediately after implant placement and at six months postoperatively. The clinical and radiographic outcomes of both loading protocols were compared to assess implant stability and osseointegration.