A Comparative Study of Two Treatment Protocols Using Immediate Loading Implants in the Rehabilitation of the Edentulous Jaws with Full Fixed Prostheses: 1 Year Interim Results

Purpose: The aim of this study was to retrospectly evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of two different protocols of immediate full-arch fixed prosthesis supported by implants after 1 year of loading. Material and Methods: Fifty-five patients received a fixed full-arch rehabilitation supported by implants (total 328 implants). In G1 (32 rehabilitations) with an immediate temporary implant-fixed prostheses (reinforced PMMA) within 3/4 hours from the surgery, the definitive restorations were placed 6 months later. In G2 (30 rehabilitations) with a definitive implant-fixed prostheses made by a milled CAD-CAM bar within 72 hours from the surgery. Clinical and radiographic 1-year data were collected for the groups and statistically compared on patient level: marginal bone loss (MBL), implant-cumulative success rate (I-CSR), prostheses-cumulative success rate (P-CSR) were analyzed. Results: The 1-year MBL was (0.80 ± 0.67) mm in the G1 and (1.31 ± 0.93) mm in the G2. The total I-CSR at 1 year is 92.98%. However, this figure should be broken down into the cumulative success of G1 (97.56%) and G2 (85.98%). A total of 4 prosthetic complications have been recorded on 62 rehabilitations (93.55% P-CSR). The fracture of the reinforced PMMA prosthesis was presented in only one case of 32 rehab in the G1, in upper jaw, with an absolute success rate of 96.8%. Conclusion: The good clinical and radiographic results one year after loading offer promising results on the new materials studied. Further longer follow-up studies are needed to validate these results.