ABSTRACT
Immediate loading is a protocol in which the prosthesis is placed as soon as the implant is inserted. It is a controversial option and there still remain doubts for the clinicians on the immediate loading protocol decision. This review aims to clarify the possible factors influencing the success of immediate loading dental implants. A search in the PubMed® and Scielo® databases was performed, restricted to systematic reviews and meta-analyses published within a period time limit of the past 6 years. 18 out of 86 articles were selected to discussion, according to the relevance of the subject addressed. Although overall analysis tends to attribute similar results to immediate loading protocol as compared to non-immediate loading procedures, this differentiated technique demands specific clinical requirements, in which the surgeon experience should not be neglected, but rather a key success factor. More well-designed randomized, controlled clinical trials and long-term follow-up studies are emergent.
