Initial Fixation of Bisphosphonate-coated Dental Implants

Initial Fixation of Bisphosphonate-coated Dental Implants

16 patients will be included. Each patient receives 2 dental implants. One of them is coated with a drug, zoledronate, to improve fixation. Fixation is measured by vibration resonance frequency analysis at insertion and 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after insertion.The 2 implants in each patient are compared. We expect to find an early improvement (higher resonance frequency) in the coated implant.

The zoledronate is linked to the titanium implant surface via a nanolayer of crosslinked fibrinigen. Resonance frequency is measured with standard clinical equipment (Ostell apparatus).

Inclusion Criteria:

Need for dental implant in upper jaw. CTscan showing at least 6 mm bucco-lingual thickness. Generally healthy

Exclusion Criteria:

Drugs or conditions that influence or are thought to influence bone healing, such as bisphosphonates, corticosteroids, other oral pathologies, severe autoimmune diseases, cancer. Osteoporosis is not cause for exclusion.