Evaluation of Flapless Approach for Dental Implantation: A Prospective Clinical Study

Abstract

Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the dental implant flapless technique as a successful treatment option for implant patients by assessing marginal bone loss after 3 months and post-operative pain.Methods: One hundred and twenty implants were placed in 40 patients. Two parameters were assessed post-operatively: marginal bone loss and pain; the difference in marginal bone loss (MBL) was measured based on an immediate post-operative OPG and another OPG taken three months after the surgery, and pain assessment was achieved using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) post-operatively for five days. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used, and as most of the data were not normally distributed, Mann-Whitney test was used for comparing the groups.Results: The present study's findings demonstrate that the average marginal bone loss (MBL) around the implant at three months using the flapless technique was 0.2± 0.1 mm. No implants failed to osseointegrate. There was no statistical MBL significance between male and female patients or between upper and lower jaw. This study shows significantly reduced post-operative pain in the flapless implant placement technique. Conclusions: The flapless approach is predictable when patient selection, meticulous planning, and precise surgical protocols are followed.