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The aim of this study was to systematically review the current scientific literature regarding the accuracy of fully guided flapless implant positioning for complete-arch rehabilitations in edentulous patients and to assess if there was any statistically significant correlation between linear deviation at shoulder point, at apex point and angular deviation. The electronic and manual literature search of clinical studies was carried out using specified indexing terms. A total of 13 studies were eligible for qualitative analysis and 277 edentulous patients were rehabilitated with 1556 implants patients by means of fully guided mucosa-supported template-assisted flapless surgery. Angular deviation was 3.42° (95% CI 2.82–4.03), linear deviation at shoulder point 1.23 mm (95% CI 0.97–1.49) and linear deviation at apex point 1.46 mm (95% CI 1.17–1.74). No statistically significant correlations were found between the linear and angular deviations. A statistically significant correlation was found between the two linear deviations (correlation coefficient 0.91) that can be summarized by the regression equation y = 0.03080 + 0.8254x. Computer-assisted flapless implant placement by means of mucosa-supported templates in complete arch restorations can be considered a reliable and predictable treatment choice despite the potential effects that flapless approach could bring to the overall treatment.

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This study aimed to examine the clinical and esthetic outcomes of immediately provisionalized self-tapping implants placed in extraction sockets or healed edentulous ridges one year after treatment. Sixty patients in need of a single implant-supported restoration were treated with self-tapping implants (Straumann BLX) and immediate provisionalization. The implant stability quotient (ISQ) and insertion torque were recorded intraoperatively. After one year in function, the implant and prosthesis survival rate, pink esthetic score (PES), white esthetic score (WES), and marginal bone levels (MBL) were assessed. Sixty patients received 60 self-tapping implants. A total of 37 implants were placed in extraction sockets and 23 in edentulous ridges, and then all implants were immediately provisionalized. All implants achieved a high implant stability with a mean insertion torque and ISQ value of 58.1 ± 14.1 Ncm and 73.6 ± 8.1 Ncm, respectively. No significant differences were found between healed vs. post-extractive sockets (p = 0.716 and p = 0.875), or between flap vs. flapless approaches (p = 0.862 and p = 0.228) with regards to the insertion torque and ISQ value. Nonetheless, higher insertion torque values and ISQs were recorded for mandibular implants (maxilla vs. mandible, insertion torque: 55.30 + 11.25 Ncm vs. 62.41 + 17.01 Ncm, p = 0.057; ISQ: 72.05 + 8.27 vs. 76.08 + 7.37, p = 0.058). One implant did not osseointegrate, resulting in an implant survival rate of 98.3%. All implants achieved PES and WES scores higher than 12 at the 1-year follow-up. The clinical use of newly designed self-tapping implants with immediate temporization was safe and predictable. The implants achieved a good primary stability, high implant survival rate, and favorable radiographic and esthetic outcomes, regardless of the immediate or delayed placement protocols.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical application of fixed screw-retained complete-arch rehabilitations supported by four narrow-diameter implants (NDIs). The records of patients treated with complete-arch prostheses screwed onto four NDIs treated with an immediate loading protocol between 2010 and 2020 with at least 1 year of follow-up after the positioning of the definitive restoration were reviewed. The implants were placed according to the final prosthetic design and were immediately loaded. The interim prostheses were replaced after the healing period by definitive acrylic resin titanium-supported prostheses. Patients were followed to evaluate treatment success, the implant survival rate (ISR), and the prosthetic survival rate (PSR). A total of 121 NDIs were positioned in 30 patients to restore 30 complete arches (18 maxilla and 12 mandible). One implant did not achieve osseointegration, resulting in an overall ISR of 99.2%. No prosthetic or implant failures occurred during the 1 to 11 years of follow-up. Three biological and four prosthetic complications occurred, resulting in a treatment rehabilitation survival of 94.1% and a PSR of 86.7%. Despite the limitations of the present retrospective study, such as the use of one single type of dental implant and patients treated in a single rehabilitation center, complete-arch rehabilitation with fixed prostheses supported by four NDIs seems to be a reliable treatment in the medium to long term.