NDIs can be used with confidence where a regular diameter implant is not suitable. MBL around NDIs occurred predominantly within 2 years of loading and was minimal thereafter. Further studies are required to clarify the possible risks associated with smoking and posterior placement.

Results of this study support the need for a clinical tool to evaluate dental implant stability prior to loading, especially for implants placed in the maxilla. It appears that implant stability is weakest at 3 to 6 weeks in one-stage non-loaded dental implants. ISQ readings can be used to determine different healing phases and the stability of dental implants. However, it is difficult to define a general standardized range of ISQ readings for successful implant integration for various implant systems. Thus, RFA values/ISQ levels should be calibrated for each implant system separately. Further studies are needed to compare the early changes seen in immediately loaded dental implants and to determine whether there is any time in which the total recovery in ISQ levels may occur.

It is possible to radiographically observe a gain of approximately 3 to 4 mm of bone from the sinus floor to the implant apex. The amount of initial alveolar bone height, presence of sinus membrane perforation, and the amount of exposed implant surface appear to play a role in the presence or absence of radiopacity within the elevated sinus floor, following 6 months of healing.

The detection of PGE2 and MMP-8 in PICF serve to be useful for monitoring the course of periimplant disease. MMP-8 promises to be an early signal of periimplant inflammation.

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy between the use of bovine bone graft material and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) mixture (test group) and bovine bone graft material and collagen membrane combination (control group) in 2-stage maxillary sinus augmentation. According to specific inclusion/exclusion criteria, patients treated between 2008 and 2012 were selected. Panoramic radiographs were used for radiologic assessments. To evaluate the relationship between sinus-graft height and each implant, the bone level (BL) was divided by implant length (IL). To evaluate the change in the height of grafted sinus, the grafted sinus floor above the lowest part of the original sinus height (GSH) was divided by the original sinus height (OSH). Samples taken during implant surgery were used for histologic and histomorphometric analyses. Twenty-five patients, 32 augmentation surgeries, and 66 one-stage implants were included in the study. No implant loss or complication was observed in either group. There were no statistical differences according to new bone formation (P = .61) and biomaterial remnant (P = .87). During the evaluation period, the test group showed statistically less change in the BL/IL ratio (P = .022). The difference of GSH/OSH ratio was found to be insignificant between groups (P = .093). It was observed that the grafted sinus covering the implant apex and sinus floor was above the original sinus height in both groups. It may be concluded from this study that both combinations can be successfully used for sinus augmentation. Further studies evaluating different graft materials and PRF combinations in the early phases of healing would be beneficial.