Successful mandible rehabilitation of lower incisors with one-piece implants.

INTRODUCTION: The popularity of one-piece implants has increased considerably among patients and dentists. The advantages of one-piece immediate loading are to reduce the number of interventions. These parameters can be better controlled with a one-piece implant. METHODS: We considered 21 patients with one-piece implants inserted in mandible for this retrospective study. Inclusion criteria were: good oral hygiene, absence of lesions of the oral mucosa, no smoking or smoking less than 20 cigarettes a day, drinking less than two glasses of wine a day, good general health and no pregnancy. RESULTS: We enrolled 21 (12 women and 9 men) patients in this retrospective study. The mean follow-up was 1 year. A total of 84 one-piece implants were inserted in mandible to replace 42 lower first and 42 second incisors. The diameter of the implants was 3.0mm in all fixtures. The length of the implants was equal to or longer than 12mm in 44 and 40 fixtures respectively. Of these, 48 were inserted in women and 36 in men (age range 33 to 67; mean age 58.3 years). CONCLUSIONS: There is no difference between the survival rates of one-piece immediate loading implants and two-piece implants and delayed loading. In conclusion, a one-piece immediate loading implant is a reliable device for mandible rehabilitation.