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A systematic review of single-tooth restorations supported by implants
N H Creugers1, C M Kreulen, P A Snoek
1Department of Occlusal Reconstruction and Oral Function, College of Dental Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. n.creugers@dent.kun.nl
Objectives:
To make an inventory of clinical studies on single-tooth restorations supported by implants using a systematic review procedure and to aggregate overall survival results.
Data Sources:
Papers referring to single-tooth implants were located by a MEDLINE search 1990 to April 1998. Three hundred and twenty references were found, and they were subjected to a systematic review procedure.
Study Selection:
A three-step inclusion/exclusion procedure was applied to identify papers that represented: good scientific practice (GSP), reported results of all patients, implants and crowns for more than 2years, and had sufficient data to generate life-table analyses. The outcomes were 'implant failure' and 'crown completion'. Nine studies survived. These data showed an overall mean GSP of 0.37 with a predicted 4year implant survival of 97% (n=459), and an uncomplicated crown maintenance of 83% (n=240).
Conclusion:
Single-tooth implants show an acceptable short-term survival of 4years, but crown complications are common.