Functional Restoration of Implants on the Day of Surgical Placement in the Fully Edentulous Mandible: A Case Series

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to report the clinical experience and outcome of a study of the functional rehabilitation of 16 completely edentulous mandibles with immediately loaded cross-arch screw-retained hybrid prostheses at the University of Southern California. Materials and Methods: After signing informed consent forms 16 patients (9 male, 7 female) aged 47 to 84 years (mean age, 62.6 ± 11.6 years) received 90 Branemark System® Mk III dental implants (Nobel Biocare USA, Yorba Linda, CA, USA). Stability and radiographs of the dental implants were evaluated at the time of surgery, at 3 months, at 1 year, and at 3 years post loading. Results: Three implants failed to meet the criteria of success, bringing the cumulative success rate to 96.6%, with a 100% prosthetic success rate at 3 years. Thirty-nine (43.3%) of the dental implants placed were 15 mm in length. Seventy-seven (85.5%) of the dental implants were placed in high-density bone. At 3 years post loading, the average bone loss was −1.2 ± 0.1 mm. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, restoration of implants by unreinforced hybrid prostheses at the time of placement provided satisfactory results. The outcome was stable at 3 years post restoration. Mandibular rehabilitation by functional loading of the implants on the day of the insertion requires the comprehension and proper application of surgical and restorative principles.