A Prospective Randomized Study on the Immediate Loading of Mandibular Overdentures Supported by Parallel Sided or Tapered Dental Titanium Implants

Titanium dental implants have been frequently used in the rehabilitation of edentulous patients. Implants may provide adequate denture stability, improve oral function and oral health related quality of life. There is evidence that implants supporting fixed and removable prostheses have excellent long term success rates. Factors such as implant surface characteristics, length, diameter and shape (parallel sided or tapered) may play and important role for the outcome of the treatment especially when the immediate loading protocol (loading of the implant the same day it is surgically placed) is utilized. There are reports indicating that dental implants placed according to the immediate loading protocol can be used to support removable prostheses in the mandible. Such protocol would minimize the number of surgical procedures and significantly shorten the overall treatment time. Further, increased oral health related quality of life has been reported from studies on mandibular implant overdentures. Traditionally two implants have been suggested for the support of a mandibular overdenture. However, high patient satisfaction rates and appropriate denture retention have been reported among patients with a single implant placed in the mid-line. It is also important to further evaluate and compare various implant designs to determine clinical outcomes. The two dominating types of implant body design on the market are the parallel-sided (straight) and the tapered (conical) shaped. Both implants have similar threads, and the surgical procedure for placing the implants in the bone tissue is similar, but the drills used have a slightly different design and shape. There are today no randomized controlled studies evaluating differences in outcomes with respect to the external implant design i.e. parallel sided or tapered.