Somatosensory alterations after single-unit dental implant immediate loading: A 1-year follow-up study.

Objective: This cohort study aimed to assess the incidence of somatosensory alterations after implant surgery using standardized quantitative and qualitative sensory testing.

Methods: 33 participants with single-tooth loss, undergoing immediate implant loading were included. Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) and Qualitative Sensory Testing (QualST) were conducted at eight time points over a year (baseline to 1 year). Two-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test were used on QST values and Cochran Q test on QualST.

Results: The study revealed significant increase in thermal thresholds overtime. At the operated side, overall Cold Pain Threshold (extraoral: p = 0.030; intraoral: p < 0.001), and Cold Detection Threshold (intraoral: p < 0.001) increased overtime. In contralateral region, maxilla Cold Detection Threshold (extraoral: p = 0.024; intraoral: p = 0.031), Warm Detection Threshold (extraoral: p = 0.026; intraoral: p = 0.047) and overall Cold Pain Threshold (extraoral and intraoral: p < 0.001) also increased. QualST showed extraoral pinprick (p = 0.032) and intraoral pinprick (p = 0.000), cold (p = 0.000) and touch (p = 0.002) stimuli abnormalities overtime.

Conclusions: Somatosensory alterations after implant surgery were detected in both quantitative and qualitative sensory assessments, but rapidly decreased during the first follow-ups, and then continuously until 1-year.

Clinical Significance: This study provides clinical and controlled evidence on the real effect of the somatosensory alterations overtime, leading to a better understanding of neurosensory behaviour after single-tooth dental implant rehabilitation.