Immediate loading
Also known as: Teeth in a day, Immediate function, Immediate restoration
Attaching a restoration to an implant sooner than one week after placement, as defined by the ITI consensus on loading protocols.
Key facts
| Timing | Immediate loading is defined as earlier than 1 week after implant placement; early loading as between 1 week and 2 months; conventional loading as greater than 2 months after placementVerified spec[1] |
|---|---|
| Typical use | For fixed prostheses in edentulous jaws, most studies applied inclusion criteria of insertion torque of at least 30 Ncm, an implant stability quotient of at least 60 and a minimum implant length of 10 mm; primary implant stability is described as critical for predictable osseointegration regardless of the loading protocolVerified spec[2] |
| Clinical evidence | The ITI consensus states that immediate loading of microtextured implants with one-piece fixed interim prostheses in the edentulous mandible and maxilla is as predictable as early and conventional loadingVerified spec[2] |
| Limitations | The need for simultaneous procedures such as bone augmentation or sinus floor elevation is considered a relative contraindication for immediate loadingVerified spec[2] |
| How it differs | Loading means the restoration is in contact with the opposing teeth. A temporary crown deliberately kept out of the bite is a restoration but not, strictly, a load — a distinction that explains why two clinicians can describe the same appointment differently. |
Overview
Immediate loading means a restoration is fitted within a week of the implant being placed, rather than after the usual months of healing. The consensus definitions are precise and worth quoting because marketing language is not: immediate is under one week, early is one week to two months, and conventional is beyond two months. It may be considered where the implant is stable enough at the moment of placement — the studies behind the consensus generally required insertion torque of at least 30 Ncm and implants of 10 mm or more — and it is best documented for full-arch fixed bridges, where several implants are splinted together immediately. Where bone grafting or a sinus lift is being done at the same time, immediate loading is treated as a relative contraindication. There is also a distinction hidden in the word "loading": a temporary tooth deliberately kept out of the bite is not the same as one taking chewing force, which is why "teeth in a day" can mean rather different things in different practices.
This is general information. Whether any treatment suits you depends on clinical examination, including imaging — no website can determine that.
Sources
Numbers match the citations beside each claim above.
Clinical evidence
- [1]Loading Protocols — Definition of Terms and General Statement (ITI Consensus) — International Team for Implantology (ITI), 2013. Accessed 2026-07-21.
- [2]Loading Protocols for Fixed Prostheses in Edentulous Jaws — ITI Consensus Statement — International Team for Implantology (ITI), 2013. Accessed 2026-07-21.