CLINICAL REPORTS Immediate Loading of Dental Implants in Partially Edentulous Patients: A Clinical Report Maria Chatzistavrou, DDS, MS, 1 David A. Felton, DDS, MS, 2 and Lyndon F. Cooper, DDS, PhD 3 Immediate loading of dental implants offers attractive advantages for patient and prosthodontist alike. Current data support immediate loading of splinted screw-shaped implants in the parasym- physis region. This report presents a case of a partially edentulous patient successfully restored with a fixed implant prosthesis following an immediate loading protocol. J Prosthodont 2003;12:26-29. Copyright © 2003 by The American College of Prosthodontists. INDEX WORDS: immediate loading, dental implants, partial edentulism, fixed prosthesis I MMEDIATE LOADING of dental implants of- fers advantages for patient and prosthodontist alike. Current data support immediate loading of splinted screw-shaped implants in the parasymphy- sis region. 1 Several similar reports have demon- strated high success rates for commercially pure titanium screw-shaped implants placed in the man- dible and loaded with a splinted prosthesis. 2-5 In a comparative study of immediate loading versus con- ventional implant treatment, no implant failures were recorded in any of the patients treated. 1 This suggests that in some clinical situations, immediate loading of implants placed in the relatively dense and abundant bone of the parasymphyseal mandi- ble may be considered as an alternative. This report presents a case involving a partially edentulous patient who was successfully restored with a fixed partial denture after immediate loading of dental implants. Clinical Report A 72-year-old Caucasian male patient with no sig- nificant medical problems presented in the Gradu- ate Prosthodontic Clinic, University of North Caro- lina School of Dentistry with a chief complaint of “teeth chipping off.” Intraoral clinical examination showed severely worn dentition in both arches and significant loss of the vertical dimension of occlu- sion (Figs 1, 2, and 3). Various treatment plans were presented to the patient appropriate to his needs and his preference for fixed rehabilitation. Treatment options discussed included implant-sup- ported restorations, tooth-retained prostheses, and a combination of both. Preserving and restoring the existing dentition with fixed restorations would require extensive crown-lengthening procedures, followed by elective endodontic therapies and mul- tiple foundation restorations before any definitive prosthodontic intervention. After discussing the options, the patient elected conventional full-coverage restorations for teeth nos. 8, 9, 10, 11, 20, and 28 with single implant- supported full-coverage restorations on teeth nos. 19 and 21 and implant-supported fixed partial den- tures to replace teeth nos. 3 to 7, 12 to 14, and 22 to 27. In preparation for rehabilitation, casts from pre- liminary impressions were mounted using an arbi- From the Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. 1 Clinical Instructor. 2 Associate Professor. 3 Associate Professor. Accepted for publication November 20, 2002. Presented at the Table Clinic Session of the 2001 Annual Meeting of the American College of Prosthodontists, New Orleans, LA, November 2001. Correspondence to: Lyndon F. Cooper, DDS, PhD, Department of Prosthodontics, University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, 404 Brauer Hall, CB# 7450, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. E-mail: Lyndon_Cooper@dentistry.unc.edu. Copyright © 2003 by The American College of Prosthodontists 1059-941X/03/1201-0007$30.00/0 doi:10.1053/jpro.2003.9 26 Journal of Prosthodontics, Vol 12, No 1 (March), 2003: pp 26-29