Comparative evaluation of immediate versus delayed loading in dental implants

The optimal timing of prosthetic loading for dental implants remains a clinical challenge, with ongoing debate regarding the long-term outcomes of immediate versus delayed loading protocols. Therefore, it is of interest to compare peri-implant outcomes, marginal bone level changes, and clinical survival rates between immediately loaded and delayed loaded dental implants over a 24-month period. Fifty implants placed in 60 patients were allocated into two groups: immediate loading (n = 25), restored within 48 hours, and delayed loading (n = 25), restored after 8-16 weeks following standardized surgical protocols. Implant survival, implant stability quotient (ISQ), peri-implant clinical parameters, marginal bone levels, complications, and patient-reported satisfaction were evaluated. While immediate loading demonstrated higher early patient satisfaction, both loading protocols showed comparable long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes, indicating that each approach is reliable when appropriate case selection is followed.