Immediate placement and immediate loading of full edentulous arches in 20 periodontally compromised patients – in-line clinical case series with 3 years follow-up

Purpose: These in-line clinical case series aim to assess the cumulative implant and definitive prosthesis survival rate of full edentulous arches in periodontally compromised patients using 4 to 6 Bone Level Tapered (BLT) implants (Straumann, Basel, Switzerland) for up to 3 years of loading. Materials and Methods: Ninety-four implants were placed in 20 patients under the full controlled principle of in-line clinical case series (14 successive days of surgery). Each subject received an immediate loaded and complete-arch provisional prosthesis during 24 hours after implant surgery. The definitive prostheses were delivered within 6 to 8 weeks after implant insertion. A life table method was used to determine implant cumulative survival rate. Results: Up to 3 years of loading, our results demonstrated a cumulative implant survival rate of 98.94%. The definitive prosthesis survival rate was 100%. Conclusions: These results support the use of BLT implants according to the ProArch concept for immediate placement and immediate loading of full edentulous arches in periodontally compromised patients. These in-line case series need to be followed by long-term clinical evaluations.