RESULTS
ADVERSE EVENTS, COMPLICATIONS
Forty‐two consecutive patients were screened for eligibility and, after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 27 patients (15 males and 12 females; age range 45–92 years, mean 63.0 ± 11.8 years; 8 smokers, 19 non‐smokers) were included in the present study. Each patient received two identical implants in the posterior maxilla (total = 54 implants); 13 patients received two 8 mm‐long implants and 14 patients received two 10 mm‐long implants (Table Baseline characteristics of the sampleNinety days after insertion, 53 out of 54 implants resulted osseointegrated and were referred to the prosthodontist for subsequent rehabilitation (one failure was recorded in test group after 28 days). Two‐sample Wilcoxon rank‐sum test showed no significant differences (Except for the failed implant, no other local or systemic complications or adverse events were recorded at any site throughout the entire period of observation. At the last follow‐up (12 months of prosthetic loading), 53 implants were satisfactorily in function.Mean peak insertion torque was 40.7 ± 12.3 Ncm (range 5–60 Ncm) in the test group and 39.5 ± 10.2 Ncm (range 19–60 Ncm) in the control group. Two‐sample Wilcoxon rank‐sum test showed no significant differences (Two‐sample Wilcoxon rank‐sum test showed no significant differences in mean peak insertion torque between the two groups. Insertion torque is expressed in Ncm. OD: osseodensification drills (test); Piezo: piezoelectric tips (control)Mean ISQ values at baseline (primary stability) were 71.3 ± 6.9 and 69.3 ± 7.6 in the test and control group, respectively. Two‐sample Wilcoxon rank‐sum test showed no significant difference between the two groups (Implant stability decreased in both groups during the early healing period. The lowest peak was recorded 21 days after implant insertion for test group implants (mean ISQ 65.9 ± 7.8—7.6% decrease from mean primary stability) and 14 days after implant insertion for control group implants (mean ISQ 66.5 ± 6.7—4.9% decrease from mean primary stability).After the third week, implant stability continued to increase constantly in both groups. However, only control group implants, at 60 and 90 days after implant insertion, showed ISQ values higher than at baseline (Figure Changes in mean implant stability quotient values of both groups during the first 90 days after implant insertion. The lowest peak was registered at 14 days for the control group and at 21 days for the test group. OD: osseodensification drills (test); Piezo: piezoelectric tips (control)Inter‐group comparisons were performed using the two‐sample Wilcoxon rank‐sum test and showed no significant differences in ISQ values between the test and control group during the entire period of observation (Table ISQ values at the different time points in the test and control group
Abbreviations: OD, osseodensification drills; Intra‐group comparisons, analyzed using the Scheffé test, showed no significant differences in ISQ values at any time point both in test and in control group (