The immediate loading of dental implants.

Abstract

The aim of this article is to identify current opportunities for the immediate loading of endosseous dental implants. A biologic basis for the clinical parameters associated with success and failure of immediately loaded implants is presented, and select clinical situations where immediate loading is presently advocated will be illustrated. The wide-ranging applications of the immediate-loading concept for endosseous dental implants will be introduced; however, further experimental validation is necessary before incorporating all of these various expedited therapeutic approaches into practice.