The demand for replacing the single missing tooth with an implant and restoration is increasing. A retrospective study by Dhanrajani and AlRafee involved a 6-year audit of single-tooth implant restorations at Riyadh Dental Centre in Saudia Arabia. The study assessed 100 consecutive patients age 17 to 69 years (30 men and 71 women) who had a total of 147 implants placed to support single-tooth restorations. The study found a survival probability of 93.8% after a 5-year period. A set protocol was used at the Centre for all implant restoration patients. This survival probability meets the criteria of Albrektsson and Garb for implant success and supports the use of implant-supported single-crown restorations. The use of the protocol is suggested in patients with caries-free adjacent teeth and to achieve good aesthetics. The authors note that the recent trend of immediately inserting and loading implants for single-tooth replacement is becoming popular. The results of this study are encouraging, but there is a need for technical refinement and long-term assessment, particularly between different protocols.
(Source: Implant Dentistry, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2005)
