The Ihde Method

What is an Ihde implant?

Not a product name, but an approach that applies three decisions together

Most people who search for this name think they are looking for an implant brand. There really is a manufacturer, but the real difference is not in the product itself: it is in which layer of the bone the implant is placed in, how many pieces it is made of and when it is loaded. On this page we explain what those three decisions mean, why they depend on one another and where the approach differs from a conventional implant.

Short answer

The approach known by the Ihde name is three decisions applied together. The implant is placed not in the upper bone that shrinks after tooth loss, but in the hard cortical and basal layer deep in the jaw. The implant is one piece: the body that goes into the bone and the top part the teeth attach to are the same piece. And because the anchorage is mechanical from the first day, the implants are loaded with a fixed bridge without waiting for osseointegration. The three make sense together, not separately, because each one makes the others possible.

What it is: Not a brand, but an approach that applies three decisions together
Where it anchors: Cortical and basal bone, which does not shrink
Implant design: One piece, with no abutment screw
Loading: Without waiting for osseointegration, in the same week

Medically reviewed by Bilge Ilgın, Dentist · ImplantologyLast reviewed 2026-09-08

Three decisions, and why they depend on one another

Part of the confusion is that the name comes from a person. Prof. Dr. Stefan Ihde is a clinician who has spent many years working, publishing and teaching in corticobasal implantology, and there is also an implant manufacturer that carries his name. But the answer patients are looking for is not in a product catalogue. What defines this approach is three decisions taken at the same time, and applied one by one, they do not give the same result.

The first decision is where the anchorage comes from. The jawbone is not a single layer. At the top is the alveolar bone, which holds the teeth; this layer depends on the teeth being there, and when a tooth is lost it no longer carries any load, so it shrinks. Below and around it are the layers known as cortical and basal bone, which are much harder and are not affected by tooth loss. A conventional implant sits in the upper layer; corticobasal placement locks into the one below. That is why an implant can still be placed when the bone has shrunk.

The second decision is how many pieces the implant is made of. Conventional systems come in two pieces: the body that goes into the bone and a connecting piece, the abutment, screwed on top. Where the two meet, a gap measured in microns remains, and that gap is both a space for bacteria and a point where loosening can start. A one-piece, or monoblock, design has no such connection. The trade-off is that the angle cannot be corrected later by changing the abutment, so the planning has to be right from the outset.

The third decision is when the implant is loaded. With the conventional approach, you wait for months after the implant is placed, because the anchorage comes from the bone attaching itself to the implant surface, which takes time. With an implant locked into hard bone, the anchorage is mechanical from the first day, like a screw driven into hard wood. As there is nothing to wait for, the implants can be loaded with a fixed bridge in the same week.

What matters here is that the three are linked. Immediate loading is only safe if there is enough mechanical anchorage from the first day, and that anchorage comes from locking into the hard layer. Loading an implant placed in soft bone early may look like following the same protocol, but it is something entirely different, and it leads to losing the implant. In other words, saying 'we do immediate loading' does not, on its own, describe this approach.

How the implant site is prepared is also part of the approach. In the conventional method, the site is created by removing bone with drills, and the bone that is removed does not grow back. In the approach known as osteocompression, the site is prepared not by removing bone but by pressing it outwards to the sides. The compressed bone becomes denser and grips the implant more tightly. Part of the anchorage achieved on the first day comes from this.

Who this approach makes sense for

This approach suits a narrow range of cases, and that should be said from the start. These are the points checked at the examination; the final decision is made after the CBCT scan.

The tooth can be saved

Patients with many missing teeth or a full-mouth treatment planThis is where it mainly belongs. When several implants in the same jaw work together, the load is shared and the implants can carry a fixed bridge from the first day. With a single tooth, there is no such sharing.
People with reduced bone volume who have been advised to have a graftWhen the alveolar bone shrinks, there is less room for a conventional implant to sit, and bone grafting comes into the picture. When the anchorage is taken from the deep layer that does not shrink, this step is not needed in most cases.
People who cannot commit to a long treatment scheduleComing back four or five times during a plan spread over six months is not realistic for everyone. Because loading does not wait for osseointegration, the treatment fits into a few clinical days.
People who want to stop living with a removable dentureMoving to fixed teeth from a denture that covers the palate and grows looser over time as the bone shrinks is what this approach is used for most often.

Saving it is unlikely to hold

People missing just one toothLet us be clear about this: for a single gap, a conventional single-tooth implant means less surgery, lower cost and the same result. Your own dentist is the right person to see.
If there is an active infection in the areaPlacing an implant while there is an abscess or ongoing inflammation means putting load onto an inflamed foundation. The infection is treated first, and that adds a separate stage before the plan begins.
If a systemic condition is not under controlIf you have diabetes with blood sugar that has not been stabilised, or have recently had a cardiac event, the plan is postponed. Once your readings are under control, the same approach can be used.
If the expected anchorage cannot be achieved on the dayThis is built into the logic of the approach: the decision to load depends on the measured torque. An area that does not reach the expected value is not loaded straight away, and the fitting is postponed. If it is forced, the implant pays the price.

How it is carried out in the clinic

The sequence below shows how the three decisions come together in practice.

1
CBCT scan and choosing the layer
On the 3D image, the height, width and hardness of the bone are measured. This is where it is decided which layer each implant will go into, and at what angle. Because this decision cannot be changed afterwards, planning carries more weight than in the conventional method.
2
Preparing the site by compressing the bone
The site is created not by removing bone but by pressing it outwards to the sides. The aim is to make the bone denser and improve the implant's grip. Heat control is critical here: bone that overheats does not heal.
3
Placement and measuring the torque
The implant is locked into the hard layer, and its anchorage is confirmed by the torque value. That number, not your timetable, decides whether loading goes ahead. An implant that does not reach the expected value is not loaded that day.
4
Impressions and manufacture
A digital impression of your mouth is taken, and the bridge is designed and made. This step cannot be rushed: the impression and the manufacture do not fit into the same day, and that is why the treatment cannot come down to a single day.
5
Fitting and bite adjustment
The bridge is screwed onto the implants and the bite is adjusted. With one-piece implants, spreading the load evenly matters all the more, because there is no abutment that can be swapped later to correct the angle.
6
Check-ups and night guard
The bridge fitted is the final bridge; no other bridgework is made later to replace it. After that come a check-up, a bite adjustment if needed and a night guard if one is planned, followed by routine check-ups.

How it compares with other options

This approach is not the only option. These are the routes compared when making a decision.

Conventional implants and waiting for osseointegration

The implants are placed, you wait for months, and then a fixed prosthesis is made. It is a long-established route with a large body of data behind it. If there is enough bone, it can be the one to choose.

Implants after a bone graft

If there is not enough bone, it is added first, you wait for it to heal, then the implant is placed and you wait again. The whole process can take up to a year. It is necessary in some cases; if the anchorage can be taken from the deep layer, it is not needed in most.

Protocols with fewer implants, such as All-on-4

These aim to carry a fixed bridge in one jaw on four implants, making use of the dense bone at the front. In the corticobasal approach, the implants are thinner and the number is usually kept higher; the aim is to reduce the share of the load each implant carries.

Removable implant-retained denture

A denture that sits on a small number of implants and is taken out at night. The surgery is limited and the cost is low; the trade-off is that the denture is not fixed.

Full removable denture

The route with no surgery. The palate is covered, your sense of taste and temperature changes, and over time the denture loosens as the bone shrinks. It does not stop bone loss.

The limits of this approach and what you should know

A page that only lists advantages reads like an advert. These are the real limitations of the approach.

Planning errors cannot be corrected afterwards

This is the price of the one-piece design. In a conventional two-piece system, the angle can be compensated for to some extent by changing the abutment; here it cannot. This limitation is the main reason the approach demands experience.

Immediate loading is not right for every bone

Loading before enough mechanical anchorage has been achieved leads to losing the implant. An approach that says 'same-day teeth for everyone' has left the decision to the calendar rather than to measurement.

Not suited to single-tooth cases

A system that relies on load sharing loses its advantage in a single gap. In this case, a conventional implant is simpler and at least as good.

Aftercare still decides the outcome

Whatever the design, inflammation around the implant (peri-implantitis) progresses silently and causes bone loss. No approach can replace regular check-ups.

What happens next

The treatment does not end when the clinical days do; this is when the settling-in period begins.

The first 48 hours
Swelling and bruising peak over these two days; day two is no more comfortable than day three, and this is the expected course. Cold compresses, sleeping with your head raised and the medication you are given keep this period manageable.
The first week
The swelling goes down and you need fewer painkillers. Your speech feels different in the first few days and returns to normal within a few days. Chewing is limited to soft foods.
The first month
Your gums settle into their new shape and chewing gradually returns to normal. At the check-up the bite is measured again, and any small differences in how the teeth meet that appeared in the first weeks are corrected.
Long-term check-ups
How long the final bridge lasts depends on regular check-ups. If a night guard was planned, it is worn regularly. The intervals between check-ups depend on how your mouth is progressing; they are more frequent in the first year and less frequent after that.

Message us right away if

The swelling increases after the third day. Swelling is expected to increase for the first two days and then go down. Swelling that grows after that, a fever or a bad taste may be a sign of infection; let the clinic know the same day.
The bridge moves or clicks. A fixed bridge does not move. Dealt with early, even the smallest movement needs only a simple procedure; if it is left, the problem grows.
One spot touches first when you bite. It means the load is building up there. A few minutes of adjustment fixes it; left alone, it leads to fractures and bone loss.
You have a fever, spreading swelling or difficulty swallowing. Together, these three indicate that the infection is spreading. Call your clinic; if you are struggling to swallow, go straight to A&E.

What determines the cost

We do not give figures on this page; an accurate figure is only possible once the CBCT scan has been reviewed. The total depends on these items:

Number of implants and number of jaws: The number depends on the condition of the bone and the length of the bridge, not on what the patient would prefer. In a plan that relies on load sharing, the number is usually kept higher.
Restoration materials and workmanship: The final fixed teeth fitted on day three, with their material and laboratory work, are a single item, and in most plans this is the largest part of the total.
Extractions and additional procedures: If a tooth is to be extracted in the same session, or an infection needs treating first, it is added as a separate item.
Whether bone grafting is needed: This is where the main cost difference of this approach lies: when the anchorage can be taken from the layer that does not shrink, grafting is not needed in most cases, which reduces both the time and the cost.

Frequently asked questions

Is an Ihde implant a brand or a method?

It is both, but the answer patients are looking for lies in the method. There is an implant manufacturer that goes by this name; however, what determines the outcome is not the product itself but which layer of bone the implant is placed in, how many pieces it is made of and when it is loaded. The approach is what you get when the three decisions are applied together.

I have been told my bone has shrunk. Can this be used for me too?

In most cases, yes, and this is the situation the approach is used for most often. The layer that shrinks is usually the alveolar bone at the top, which holds the teeth; the hard cortical and basal layer deep in the jaw stays in place. When the anchorage is taken from there, bone grafting does not come into it in most cases. The definitive answer comes after the CBCT scan.

Without waiting for osseointegration, won't the implant come loose later?

Mechanical anchorage is the starting point; osseointegration continues to develop afterwards, and the two do not rule each other out. What is risky is loading without enough mechanical anchorage. That is why the torque is measured, and an implant that does not reach the expected value is not loaded that day.

Is a one-piece implant better?

It is not better or worse, just different. There is no abutment screw and no micron-scale gap at that connection; on the other hand, the angle cannot be corrected later by changing the abutment. So the gain is in the connection, and the price is paid in planning.

Is this method new?

No. Corticobasal placement and immediate loading have been studied, published on and taught for decades. It is not as widespread as conventional implantology, so the number of dentists who use it is limited and whether they have had the training is what counts.

I am only missing one tooth. Can this be done for me?

Most likely it is not needed, and although saying so is not in our interest, that is the honest answer. The approach is meant for many missing teeth and full-mouth cases. For a single gap, a conventional single-tooth implant means fewer procedures, lower cost and the same result.

Can any dentist perform this method?

No. Preparing the site, choosing the layer and making the loading decision based on torque all require separate training; on top of that, with a one-piece design a planning error cannot be undone. That is why the number of clinics offering it is limited.

Sources

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