Medically Complex Dental Implant Patients: Controversies About Systemic Disease and Dental Implant Success/Survival

Abstract

Advances in dental implant therapy have created choices to enhance the expectations of dental practitioners and their patients with respect to oral rehabilitation at any age after childhood and regardless of, in most cases, medical disabilities. The medical status of the patient however can significantly influence the success rate of dental implant therapy. This article applies the hierarchy of scientific evidence ranging from case reports, retrospective, prospective cohort investigations, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses criteria in order to determine whether dental implant placement in medically compromised patients yields any detrimental sequelae.

Keywords: Autoimmune disease; Dental implants; Diabetes mellitus; Drug therapy; Human immunodeficiency virus; Medically compromised patients; Radiation therapy.