Purpose: To evaluate early versus conventional loading in immediate implants for molars. This study aims to answer the following PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) question: In patients over 18 years of age, does early loading of immediately placed implants in molar areas result in a similar implant survival rate and marginal bone loss as conventional loading?
Methods: Twenty-seven patients (15 women and 12 men) received a total of 30 implants immediately after molar extraction. The surgical treatment protocol entailed atraumatic tooth extraction without flap elevation. Non-invasive quantitative analyses were used to assess implant stability. After an uneventful healing period, the 30 implants were restored with screw-retained monolithic zirconia prosthesis, half of which after 6 weeks (G1) and the other half after 3 months (G2).
Results: Regarding the survival rate, the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test showed that there was no statistically significant difference between both groups (p = 1). Implant stability quotient at the prosthetic phase of both groups (6 weeks in G1 and 3 months in G2) revealed no statistically significant difference (G1 RFA74.4 (SD 5.54) - DCA 79.07 (SD 5.75))/G2 RFA 73.67 (SD 5.7), - DCA78.93 (SD 4.48).
Conclusions: Early loading of immediately placed implants in molar sites is considered a predictable treatment modality provided that ideal implant position and adequate insertion torque are achieved.
Keywords: Damping capacity analysis; Early loading; Fully guided; Immediate implants; Molar area; Resonance frequency analysis.
© 2025. The Author(s).