Aayushi Asthana¹ *, Shubhanshi Singh² , Farzana Wasi ¹ , Sanjay Gupta ¹ and Neelu Verma ¹

¹ Department of Periodontalogy and Implantology, Career Dental College, Lucknow,
India
² Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Career Dental College, Lucknow,
India

*Corresponding Author: Aayushi Asthana, Department of Periodontalogy and Implantology, Career Dental College, Lucknow, India.

Received: March 03, 2026; Published: March 30, 2026

Abstract

Background: Dental implants are a predictable treatment option for the replacement of missing teeth. One of the critical indicators of implant success is the preservation of crestal bone around the implant. The actual success of the implant doesn’t only rely on the implant placement but after loading of the prosthesis when the tooth is functioning as desired. Implant placement can be performed immediately after tooth extraction or after a healing period (delayed placement). However, the influence of implant timing on crestal bone remodeling remains a subject of ongoing research.

Aim: The present study aimed to compare crestal bone level changes between immediate and delayed implant placement protocols using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) following prosthetic loading.

Materials and Methods: This prospective comparative clinical study included 10 patients requiring single-tooth replacement in the posterior maxilla or mandible. Patients were divided into two groups: immediate implant placement (n = 5), where implants were placed directly into fresh extraction sockets, and delayed implant placement (n = 5), where implants were placed after complete socket healing (4–5 months post-extraction). All implants achieved primary stability and were restored with screw-retained crowns after approximately 4–5 months. Crestal bone levels were evaluated using CBCT scans at prosthetic loading and during follow-up intervals (immediately after prosthesis, 3 and 6 months post-loading). Measurements were taken at mesial, distal, buccal, and lingual sites from the implant shoulder to the first bone-to-implant contact. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: Both groups showed a significant reduction in crestal bone levels over time (p < 0.001), indicating physiological bone remodelling. However, delayed implants demonstrated significantly higher crestal bone levels at all time points compared to immediate implants. Overall, delayed implant placement showed superior crestal bone preservation with lower mean bone loss (0.26 mm) compared to immediate implants (0.62 mm).

Conclusion: Delayed implant placement showed better crestal bone preservation during the early loading phase compared to immediate implant placement, likely due to adequate socket healing before implant insertion. However, after completion of the remodeling phase, both protocols may demonstrate comparable crestal bone levels, with long-term success also influenced by factors such as occlusal loading and peri-implant health. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm these findings.

Keywords: Immediate Implant Placement; Delayed Implant Placement; Crestal Bone Level; Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT); Prosthetic Loading; Bone Remodeling

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Citation

Citation: Aayushi Asthana., et al. “Immediate V/S Delayed Implant; Impact on Bone Crest Post Loading Prosthesis". Acta Scientific Dental Sciences 10.4 (2026): 20-25.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Aayushi Asthana., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.