Early loading of titanium dental implants with hydroxyl ion modified surface: a 12-month prospective clinical trial

Abstract

(1) Background: implant surface topology and active hydrophilic ions could have some benefit on implant osteointegration and stability; (2) methods: 40 adult patients, suffering from a single missing tooth in the aesthetic zone, were enrolled in the study. Each patient had a single titanium implant (Thommen SPI® lement) inserted. The implant surface was obtained through con-ditioning using the Apliquiq system. Patients were divided into two equal groups depending on the implant’s diameter (3.5 and 4.0 mm). Each implant was loaded within four weeks. Stability lev-els, using the Ostell device, were checked immediately after implant placement and in four weeks; additionally, marginal bone loss (MBL) was calculated based on 12 months; (3) results: all implants survived the study. The average primary stability achieved for both groups was initially 71.59 ISQ (±4.04) and declined to 69.94 ISQ (±3.29) in four weeks. The average MBL was 0.2 mm (±0.88). There were no statistically important differences between groups. There was a positive correlation between the patient’s age and implant stability quotient (ISQ) values; (4) conclusions: hydrophilic surface implants can be used in a protocol for early functional occlusal loading. Higher values of primary stability positively influence the values of secondary stability, and the age of the patient affects the values of implant stability.