The influence of different relevant factors on dental implant therapy outcomes

BACKGROUND: Tooth loss is a multifactorial problem which has become very common in society today, bringing with it several other problems, and many different treatments are used to tackle this problem with dental implant therapies being a very popular choice. However, as with all procedures, dental implant therapies come with their risks, benefits, factors which affect their outcomes and that guide us in selecting proper patients for this surgical procedure. This study aimed to explore the correlation between various factors (age, gender, site of implantation, number of implants, and loading strategies) and dental implant therapy outcomes. The results were used to assess the impact of these variables on implant success and contribute to the existing literature.METHODS: Data was collected after informed consent from three private dental OPDs in Karachi, Pakistan, involving 373 patients (180 males, 193 females) with a total of 943 dental implants, placed by a single operator. The outcomes were analyzed 12-15 months after insertion.RESULTS: Age, site of implantation, number of implants, and loading strategies significantly affected dental implant outcomes. Over seven years, 373 patients received 943 implants, with 903 successes and 40 failures. Significant variables included “age” (P=0.031), “site” (P=0.023), “number of implants” (P=0.019), and “loading strategy” (P=0.001).CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the significant impact of age, site of implantation, number of implants, and loading strategy on dental implant success. Gender was found irrelevant, but further research is needed to explore unrecorded factors and understand their effects across diverse populations.