Early Loading of UV-Functionalized Dental Implants

Dental implants have become a predictable and widely accepted treatment modality for the rehabilitation of partially and completely edentulous patients.

Successful implant therapy depends largely on achieving and maintaining osseointegration between the implant surface and the surrounding bone. Traditionally, implants were left unloaded for several months to allow sufficient healing and osseointegration before functional loading. However, the growing demand for shorter treatment times has encouraged the development of early loading protocols. Early loading of dental implants offers several clinical advantages, including reduced treatment duration, earlier restoration of function and esthetics, and improved patient satisfaction. Nevertheless, successful early loading requires adequate implant stability during the critical healing period. Consequently, considerable research has focused on improving implant surface characteristics to accelerate osseointegration and enhance implant stability. Ultraviolet (UV) photofunctionalization is a surface modification technique that involves exposing titanium implants to ultraviolet light before placement. This process reduces hydrocarbon contamination on the implant surface, increases surface hydrophilicity, and enhances the biological activity of titanium. Previous experimental and clinical studies have suggested that UV photofunctionalization may improve cell attachment, promote bone formation, increase bone-to-implant contact, and enhance implant stability during the early stages of healing. This randomized controlled triple-blind split-mouth clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of early loading on ultraviolet photofunctionalized dental implants placed in the posterior mandible. Ten patients requiring bilateral implant-supported rehabilitation in comparable posterior mandibular sites were included. A total of twenty implants were placed, with each participant receiving one ultraviolet photofunctionalized implant and one non photofunctionalized control implant. Implant allocation was randomized, and ultraviolet photofunctionalization was performed by an independent investigator 24 hours before surgery. Participants, the surgeon/outcome assessor, and the statistician were blinded to treatment allocation throughout the study. All implants were restored using an early loading protocol four weeks after implant placement. Implant stability was evaluated using Resonance Frequency Analysis (RFA) and expressed as Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) values. Measurements were obtained at implant placement, three weeks after surgery, and four weeks after surgery. In addition, peri-implant marginal bone loss was assessed radiographically during a one-year follow-up period. The split-mouth design was selected to minimize inter-individual variability and allow direct comparison between test and control implants within the same participant. The study aimed to determine whether ultraviolet photofunctionalization could improve implant stability and support the clinical performance of early-loaded dental implants in the posterior mandible.