Immediate and early loading of two-implant-supported mandibular overdentures: three-year report of loading results of a single-center prospective randomized controlled clinical trial

PURPOSE: To report the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a 3-year follow-up of immediately and early loaded two-implant-supported mandibular overdentures.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty edentulous patients were randomly subdivided into two groups. In the immediate loading group, two Straumann implants were splinted with a Dolder bar and loaded with a mandibular overdenture within the first 48 hours postoperative. In the early loading group, the two implants were loaded with an overdenture 6 weeks postoperative. Standardized intraoral radiographs using a film holder were obtained at 1 month and 3 years. Two independent observers assessed marginal bone loss twice, independently, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to follow up marginal bone level changes.RESULTS: In total, there were 26 remaining patients available at the 3-year followup (15 immediate and 11 early). One implant was lost in the early loading group, and no implants were lost in the immediate loading group. All superstructures and dentures were adequately functional at the 3-year control. Mean radiographic marginal bone loss between baseline and the 3-year follow-up was 0.35 ± 0.63 mm for immediately loaded implants and 0.31 ± 0.96 mm for early loaded implants. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P = .26).CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this trial and the short follow-up period and high dropout rate, the immediate loading protocol was found to be comparable in its clinical and radiographic outcomes to the early loading protocol for the two-implant Dolder bar-supported mandibular overdentures.