• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.575-580
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• 2005

Transitional implants were developed to support provisional restorations and to allow for load-free osseointegration of conventional implants while a patient was provided with immediate esthetics and function and are usually placed simultaneously at the time of definitive implant placement. Transitional implants are placed in a non-submerged fashion in a single-stage surgery and are designed to be immediately loaded. They generally are made of commercially pure titanium or titanium alloy and are designed as 1-piece implants composed of root and crown replacement segments. Transitional implants can be used in a wide range of indications, such as basic use as temporary implant, to support and protect the primary implants during the healing phase, single crown in the edentulous anterior region of mandibular, anchorage for orthodontic treatment, support a surgical and radiographic template, and primary implant to extremely atrophied alveolar crests of the mandible and maxilla. This article describes the clinical use of transitional implants to support the provisional complete denture and single crown in the restricted edenturous central incisor region of mandible.