Primary stability of dental implants

Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to measure primary stability of different types of dental implants. Primary stability is one of the most important factors to determine early loading possibilities and is very difficult to have objective measurements in the evaluation. The goal was to evaluate different methods for the measurement and compare with the recent publications. Methods: 31 implants (parallel walled n=4, tapered n=27) in 12 patients (5 female, 7 male) were examined after transgingival surgery with Periostest device in both of the jaws (immediate and delayed implantation). A questionnaire on major influencing factors was filled in by the patients and submitted. Student t test and Pearson correlation was taken to get the statistic result. Implant diameter and length was investigated as covariate factors. P values (2-sided) ≤5 were considered statistically significant. Results: Group ≥61 years had a -4.19 PTV (Periostest Value) of primary stability compared to group ≤60 years with -0.07 PTV. Delayed implantation provided better primary stability. There was no significant difference detected in primary stability between the genders, but the length. Conclusion: All the factors have an influence on each other, and should be considered together. The method tested, is a good tool to evaluate primary stability but is difficult to carry out because of the presence of the gingiva during transgingival insertion. For more detailed and statistically reliable results a bigger sample group is to be examined in the near future.