What is immediate implant loading?
Under certain circumstances, it is possible to provide you with teeth on the same day or within a few days of implant placement (Figure 15)
Figure 15:The dentures were made on the same day that the implants were inserted
Teeth are prepared based on impressions (models) of your jaws or from the CT scans taken before placement (Figure 16). Occasionally, they may even be prepared from stock teeth by the chair-side. The teeth may be temporary teeth (in tooth-coloured plastic) or even the final teeth (porcelain/metal crowns).
Figure 16: CT scans are sometimes required to enable your surgeon to study the detailed anatomy of your jaw bones
Why should I consider immediate implant loading?
Immediate implants have the advantage of minimizing the time that you have to be without teeth, or wear a replacement denture/temporary bridge. Under special circumstances, the final teeth may be made on the same day. Is everyone a candidate for immediate implant loading?
Not everyone is suitable. This is usually dependent on various factors such as the quality and quantity of the jaw bone, the amount of bite force that the teeth have to absorb and the type of implant used. Infection around the implant area is occasionally a reason for not loading or even placement of the implant. It is important to understand that the bone has not had enough time to grow to the surface of the implant, and excessive movement of the implant will result in failure. Do immediate implants have a higher chance of failure?
Under carefully controlled conditions, immediate implant loading does not lead to increased chance of implant failure. However, strict protocols are usually necessary to achieve predictable results. Indiscriminate immediate loading is likely to lead to high failure rates.
Are immediate implants more costly?
Ironically, some immediate implants may cost less than their conventionally-loaded counterparts! There are certain cost savings to having a single procedure done, and this may also be offset against the needs to place a temporary denture or bridge while healing is taking place. In some situations however, they may cost more, as additional procedures are sometimes required. Special scans and computer-aided placement may also be necessary in more complex cases, which will increase the final treatment fee.
