Single-stage surgery for rehabilitation of the edentulous mandible: preliminary results.

Rehabilitation of the edentulous mandible by implant-supported bridgework is generally carried out as a two-stage surgical procedure, followed 4 to 5 months later by fabrication and attachment of the prosthesis. Use of a single-stage surgery with controlled immediate loading of the nonsubmerged implants can significantly simplify the logistics of treatment and provide cost/benefit advantages. The results of this study, up to a 2-year follow-up period, suggest that the clinical performance of the procedure compares favorably with the traditional two-stage method. The learning objective of this paper is to present the evaluation results of single-stage surgery with controlled immediate loading.