A Study of Osseotite Certain Prevail Implants Used to Support Short Fixed Bridges With Immediate Occlusal Loading.

Inclusion Criteria: * patients of either sex and of any race, 18 years of age or older * patients for whom the decision has already been made to use dental implants for treating partial edentulism in the posterior mandible or maxilla using a short span fixed prosthesis of two to four units * patients must be physically able to tolerate conventional surgical and restorative procedures * requirements for implant placement include: at least 1mm bone will be available at the buccal and lingual aspect of the implant and at least 1mm of bone below the apex * patients must agree to return to the clinic for each study follow-up visit * requirements for prosthetic fabrication include: bone width at least 6mm and a bone height of at least 11mm Exclusion Criteria: * patients with active infection or severe inflammation in the areas intended for implant placement * patients with a \>10 cigarettes / day smoking habit * patients with uncontrolled diabetes or metabolic bone disease * patients with a history of therapeutic radiation to the head * patients in need of bone grafting at the site of the intended study implant; if at the time of surgery some lateral voids need to be filled this is acceptable and does not exclude the patient from the analysis * patients who are known to be pregnant * patients with para-functional habits with evidence of severe bruxing or clenching * placement of implants into sites with less than sixteen weeks of post-extraction healing; for 3-4 unit cases one implant site may have less than sixteen weeks of healing prior to implant placement * type III or IV bone characteristics of the intended implant sites * inter-arch distance of less than 7mm (planned location of implant seating platform to the apposing occlusal landmark)