Long-term success of immediately restored single implant-supported prosthesis in reconstructed cleft maxilla

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the rate of success of immediate or early loaded implants placed in congenital cleft alveolus in a reference Brazilian Public Service, and to investigate the probable causes of failures. All the immediately restoredosseointegrated implants installed from 1991 to 2010 at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies (Bauru, SP, Brazil) were investigated. This search resulted in 281 patients, in whom 573 implants were installed. Only 10 fulfilled the following criteria: 1) single implants installed at the cleft alveolus (grafted or not) at least two years before the beginning of the study; 2) implants that had undergone to immediate or early load. Data about the patients and implants were collected from records of the patients and presented as percentage of well succeeded and failed implants. None of the implants failed. The implants have been in function for at least 58 months. Nine implants are in function for at least 5 years and one, for at least 10 years. It was concluded that rough surfaced titanium implants with proper dimensions installed in low density bone at the cleft region can receive immediate nonfunctional provisional restoration with satisfactory prognosis at medium and long-term as long as strict criteria is followed for case selection.