Immediate Loading
A protocol in which a provisional or definitive prosthesis is attached to an implant fixture within 48 hours of surgical placement, before osseointegration is complete.
Full Definition
Immediate loading (also called same-day loading) allows patients to receive a functioning restoration on the day of or within 48 hours of implant surgery, reducing treatment time significantly. It is subject to strict patient-selection and insertion-torque criteria (typically ≥35 Ncm) to prevent micro-movement that could compromise osseointegration. Editors must distinguish 'immediate loading' from 'immediate provisionalization' (aesthetic provisional without occlusal loading) and 'early loading' (loading between 48 hours and three months). Hyphenation is required when the phrase acts as a compound adjective (e.g., 'immediate-loading protocol').
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier before a noun ('immediate-loading protocol'). Distinguish from 'immediate provisionalization,' which involves no functional occlusal forces, and from 'early loading' (48 h to 3 months post-surgery).
In Context
- "Immediate loading was selected based on an insertion torque of 45 Ncm and an ISQ of 72." — Operative report
- "The immediate-loading protocol requires occlusal contacts to be eliminated on the provisional restoration." — Restorative treatment guidelines