A study by Dr. Ziv Mazor et al, published in Implant Dentistry, presents results of a single-molar area rehabilitated by 2 narrow-diameter dental implants. The study evaluated a retrospective cohort of 33 consecutive patients from 2 private practices between the years 2008 and 2009. Patients who had a single first molar replaced by 2 narrow-diameter implants (3 mm wide) were included in this case series. The patients’ demographics, site and implant characteristics, and the times of their follow-ups were recorded from the medical files. The study found that 33 patients received 66 implants replacing 33 missing first molars. The patients’ ages ranged from 23 to 76 years with an average of 49.2 ± 12.7 years. Most of the implants were used to replace a mandibular molar (76%) and 16 were used to replace 8 maxillary molars. In 2 patients, immediate implantation was performed. The mean distance between the adjacent teeth was 12.1 ± 1.0 mm. Follow-up times ranged from 10 to 18 months (average, 12.2 ± 1.9 months). It was found that all implants survived the follow-up time. One implant presented with one mm of bone loss at the 12-month follow-up. The study concludes that replacing a single missing molar with 2 narrow-diameter dental implants might serve as a viable treatment option providing good and predictable long-term results.
(Source: Implant Dentistry, 2012, Volume 21, Issue 1, pages 36 to 38)
