Immediate Versus Delayed Loading of Maxillary Overdenture Implants

The denture will be immediately connected to the implants. The abutment screw will be torqued at 15 Ncm. The Novaloc cap attachments will be picked up intra-orally using cold curing resin. To avoid contact of the resin with the surgical wound, a circular portion of a sterile rubber dam sheet will be adapted on the cap attachment once placed on the abutment during the pickup procedure. Occlusion is then checked and adjusted if necessary as well as the adaptation on the residual ridges and the patient dismissed. The patients in the test group will be instructed not to remove the prosthesis for one week.

A cover screw will be seated on the implants and the flap will be sutured for a submerged healing. After 3 months of healing the implants will be exposed and connected to the prosthesis following the same prosthetic protocol as described for the test group. The abutment screw will be torqued at 35 Ncm. As post-surgical instructions, the patients will be asked not to brush the operated areas and to rinse instead with 0,12% chlorhexidine solution twice a day for 1 minute for 14 days. Pain control is provided with 400 mg ibuprofen, as needed. Soft diet is recommended for 2 weeks. The patients in the control group will be asked not to wear the denture for 7 days.