Main risk factors in initial and late dental implant failures: a literature review

Abstract

In view of the above, the purpose of the present study was to review the literature on the main risk factors for early and late failure of implants. This study used the main databases: PUBMED and ScIELO to research scientific articles written between 1981 and 2018 in Portuguese and English. In the search we used the following descriptors: Postoperative Complications, Risk Factors, Treatment Failure; Dental Implants. Therefore, 65 articles were selected in which they fit the respective inclusion criteria. The studies showed that to minimize the occurrence of initial and final failures, it is mandatory to understand the pathogenesis and risk factors, to describe the signs and symptoms, and to clarify future clinical implications; where the majority of implant studies evaluate early and late failures separately. In the analysis of initial failures, some of the causal factors most frequently reported are smoking, infection, use of short implants, systemic factors, pre-existing periodontal disease and poor bone quality and quantity. It is concluded that there are innumerous risk factors for failure of implants, be it early or late; in the early faults, the main factors include smoking, either in the anterior or posterior region of the implant, and bone quality and quantity. While in the late failures we can mention the occlusal overload, parafunctional habits, the size of the implant, with respect to the diameter and length, as well as monitoring and maintenance of the prostheses.