Ultrastructural studies on implants failure with immediate or late loading

Abstract

Objectives. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrophotometry (EDS), the degree of bone mineralization of the tissues on the surface of failure dental implants with immediate or late loading. Materials and method. In the study, 8 dental explants from 8 clinically healthy, non-smoking patients were taken. All implants were inserted by the same dental surgeon, 4 of them were immediate loaded and 4 were late prosthetically loaded by the same dentist. The ablation of the implants was performed as atraumatically as possible and they were collected in sterile containers and sent to the BIOMAT Research Center, where they were subjected to SEM and EDS analyses. The ratios between the chemical elements calcium and nitrogen (Ca/N), phosphorus and nitrogen (P/N), respectively calcium and phosphorus (Ca/P) were calculated for each of the 8 samples and were statistically analyzed. Results. If we compare the degree of coverage of the implants with bone tissue in different phases of mineralization, we find that the bone structures occupy a larger surface area of the implants in the cases with immediate loading compared to the cases with late loading. Thus, out of 4 immediately loaded implants, 2 were completely covered, one showed very little exposed areas, and the fourth showed alternating covered and uncovered areas. Regarding the late loaded implants, three showed alternation between covered and uncovered areas and only one was completely covered with bone. Conclusions. The degree of coverage of the explants with bone tissue was better represented for the immediate loading cases. The degree of mineralization of the bone tissue covering the explants was higher for cases with immediate loading. To confirm the obtained results, it is necessary to expand the study on larger batches of samples.