One-piece implants: placement timing, surgical technique, loading protocol, and marginal bone loss

Abstract

Purpose: Osseointegration being an accepted and well-documented concept, attention is now directed towards simplification of the mechanical design of implants and towards achieving biomechanical success. The aim of this literature review is to provide an overview of the one-piece implant, with its advantages and disadvantages over a conventional two-piece implant.

Methods: The PubMed database was searched in the English language using the keywords one-piece implant, single-piece implant, single-stage implant surgery, and two-piece implant. Articles were selected on the basis of whether they had sufficient information related to placement timing, surgical procedure used, loading protocol, follow-up periods, marginal bone loss, and implant success rates of one-piece implants. For inclusion, a study group must have had a minimum of 30 one-piece implants followed for at least 1 year.

Discussion: Nineteen articles were subjected to the selection criteria. Out of 19 clinical trials only 11 met the selection criteria. Five parameters were taken into consideration for studying one-piece implants: placement timing, surgical technique, loading protocol, marginal bone loss, and implant survival rate. The data from the identified studies were tabulated according to these parameters and discussed.

Conclusion: Delayed placement of one-piece implants is more commonly practiced than extraction and immediate placement. Most surgeons prefer surgeries using flaps as compared to flapless surgeries, and in most cases, one-piece implants were loaded immediately. Limited literature reveals both positive and negative results regarding the effect of a one-piece implant system on surrounding hard and soft tissues.