Immediate prosthesis over implants retained using abutments with flexible screws: A preliminary study

Abstract

BackgroundImmediate loading protocols for the rehabilitation of edentulous or partially edentulous patients have become very popular, due to the conveniences they afford in comparison with conventional loading techniques.Material and MethodsA preliminary study was carried out with 8 patients subjected to dental implant treatment with an immediate loading protocol involving a novel system of abutments with flexible screws. Implant survival was analyzed, together with marginal bone loss and patient and dentist satisfaction.ResultsA total of 35 implants were subjected to immediate loading using the abutments with flexible screws. The mean patient and dentist satisfaction score was 9.1 and 8.5, respectively. After 12 months the dental implant survival rate was 95.8%, with a mean marginal bone loss of 0.51 ± 0.12 mm.ConclusionsThe novel system of abutments with flexible screws offers a good alternative to conventional immediate loading, since it allows rapid and simple manufacture of a reliable passive fit, fixed interim prosthesis after surgery. Key words:Dental implants, Flexafit®, Immediate loading, Immediate prosthesis.