Somatosensory alterations after single-unit dental implant immediate loading: A 1-year follow-up study

• Published in: Journal of dentistry 2024-08, Vol.147, p.105148, Article 105148
• Main Authors: Herreira-Ferreira, Matheus, Bonfante, Estevam Augusto, Conti, Paulo César Rodrigues, Araújo-Júnior, Everardo Napoleão Santana de, Machado, Camila Moreira, Alves, Patrick Henry Machado, Costa, Yuri Martins, Bonjardim, Leonardo Rigoldi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Cohort Studies; Cold Temperature; Dental implants; Dental Implants, Single-Tooth; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immediate Dental Implant Loading; Male; Maxilla - surgery; Middle Aged; Pain Threshold - physiology; Sensory Thresholds - physiology; Single-tooth; Somatosensory Disorders; Somatosensory Disorders - etiology
• ISSN: 0300-5712; 1879-176X; 1879-176X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2024.105148

•Sensory alterations were detected after posterior single-tooth implants.•Sensory alterations rapidly decreased after the first follow-ups.•Posterior single-tooth loss poses a low risk of long-term somatosensory alterations. This cohort study aimed to assess the incidence of somatosensory alterations after implant surgery using standardized quantitative and qualitative sensory testing. 33 participants with single-tooth loss, undergoing immediate implant loading were included. Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) and Qualitative Sensory Testing (QualST) were conducted at eight time points over a year (baseline to 1 year). Two-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test were used on QST values and Cochran Q test on QualST. The study revealed significant increase in thermal thresholds overtime. At the operated side, overall Cold Pain Threshold (extraoral: p = 0.030; intraoral: p < 0.001), and Cold Detection Threshold (intraoral: p < 0.001) increased overtime. In contralateral region, maxilla Cold Detection Threshold (extraoral: p = 0.024; intraoral: p = 0.031), Warm Detection Threshold (extraoral: p = 0.026; intraoral: p = 0.047) and overall Cold Pain Threshold (extraoral and intraoral: p < 0.001) also increased. QualST showed extraoral pinprick (p = 0.032) and intraoral pinprick (p = 0.000), cold (p = 0.000) and touch (p = 0.002) stimuli abnormalities overtime. Somatosensory alterations after implant surgery were detected in both quantitative and qualitative sensory assessments, but rapidly decreased during the first follow-ups, and then continuously until 1-year. This study provides clinical and controlled evidence on the real effect of the somatosensory alterations overtime, leading to a better understanding of neurosensory behaviour after single-tooth dental implant rehabilitation.