Early and immediate orthodontic loading of mini-implants for skeletal anchorage

AIM: The aim of this work is to determine the best timing of orthodontic loading on titanium mini screws to obtain a rigid skeletal anchorage for tooth movements. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Four study groups were assessed. In 44 patients 84 mini-implants were inserted with an healing period of 4, 8, 12, 16 weeks, used for orthodontic anchorage from 8 to 12 months. No differences among the 4, 8, 12, 16 loading periods were showed. No mini-screws loss, no anchorage failure, no abutment loss and only two peri-implantities and mucosal inflammations were noted in two smoker patients. RESULTS: If there are a good quality bone and optimal oral hygiene the mini-implants are able to successfully resist to relatively high forces and it is possible to short healing period and apply an immediate loading without waiting the osseointegration. CONCLUSION: The use of mini-implants produces a satisfactory result in a short period of time with two minimal surgical procedures, and enables to insert an appliance in any aimed position.