Evaluation of the Wachtel Healing Index and Its Correlation with Early Implantation Success or Failured at Two Months

Abstract

Implants are increasingly used in dentistry. Nevertheless, several factors can cause treatment failure. To assess initial wound healing, various indices have been developed. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between early wound healing and implant success. Fifty single implants (25 in women and 25 in men) were placed in patients meeting the inclusion criteria. The implants (Ticare®) were placed via the two-stage technique. Patients were assessed at 24 h, one week, one month, and two months post-implantation. At the final evaluation, implantation failure or success was recorded. Postoperative pain in these patients at one week after placement was assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS), and the Wachtel soft tissue early healing index was used to measure healing. Two months after implant placement, the success rate was 92%. No statistically significant relationship was found between the Wachtel index and short-term implant success or failure. Additionally, there was no relationship between implant success or failure and variables such as smoking, diabetes status, age, sex, or guided bone regeneration (GBR). Neither the Wachtel index nor any of the other variables studied is a predictor of early implantation success.

Keywords

• dental implant
• dental implants/adverse effects
• wound healing
• early failure
• risk factors