A comparative prospective clinical study of two single-tooth implants: A preliminary report of 102 implants

Statement of problem. Treatment of tooth loss in the anterior maxilla can involve difficult functional, esthetic, and psychologic problems, especially in young patients with otherwise good dentition. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to provide a preliminary comparative evaluation of two implants (ITI and Astra) in single-tooth restorations. Material and methods. This prospective study of 102 single-tooth replacements with 56 ITI and 46 Astra dental implants was performed in 82 patients at the Finnish Student Health Service Foundation. One Astra implant was lost before loading. The overall survival rate of the implants was 97.8% for Astra implants and 100% for the ITI system. After the initial healing period of at least 6 months, the remaining 101 implants (56 ITI, 45 Astra) were free of periimplant infection and revealed no detectable mobility. Radiographs did not reveal signs of periimplant radiolucencies. All 101 implants received single-tooth crowns. Results. Periimplant parameters and acceptable implant function were examined and demonstrated satisfactory results with preestablished clinical parameters and radiographs at 1 year. During the observation time the mean marginal bone loss was 0.13 mm with Astra implants and 0.11 mm with ITI implants. Subjectively all patients were satisfied with their single-tooth restorations supported by either ITI or Astra dental implants. Conclusion. The favorable results of this short-term study support the application of the two implant systems for single-tooth restorations, especially in the anterior region of the maxilla.