Survival of immediately loaded dental implants in deficient alveolar bone sites augmented with beta-tricalcium phosphate.

Purpose: Dental implant placement in atrophic alveolar ridges often necessitates grafting procedures, followed by immediate or delayed implant placement. This study assessed the survival of immediately loaded dental implants placed in deficient alveolar bone sites at bone grafting.

Materials: From 1999 to May 2002, 1 operator (A.P.) inserted 1065 implants (607 in mandibles, 458 in maxillae) into 338 partially edentulous patients. Most implants were placed into compromised residual ridges or prepared tooth extraction sockets. Implants placed in augmented areas were splinted to implants in nonaugmented sites for stability. In all cases, beta-tricalcium phosphate was mixed with blood from the surgical site to augment the ridge level or fill spaces between the implant and socket wall. When indicated, the same materials were used for sinus floor augmentation. All implants were tapered screws with roughened surfaces, primarily (75%) from 1 manufacturer. One of the authors (Z.O.) prosthetically restored a total of 189 implants that were placed in 35 patients. In this group of patients, complete restorative data were available. All implants were monitored for 12-48 months (mean = 19.2; median = 24).

Results: A total of 1039 implants survived, and 26 failed, including 5 in the anterior mandible and 21 in the maxillae. In the restorative group, 186 implants survived, and 3 maxillary implants failed. All implant failures in this study occurred in the augmented sites.

Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, immediate loading of splinted implants in augmented sites is a predictable procedure.