[Diabetes mellitus and early failures in oral implantology]

It has become increasingly common for diabetic patients to be considered as candidates for dental implants. However even though success rates of implant therapy in diabetic are high, this does not preclude failures. Failure to osseointegrate in the initial healing phase results in a fibrous tissue encapsulation of the implant and clinical mobility, leading ultimately to the failure of the implant. This review presents the current knowledge regarding the effect of diabetes mellitus on the osseointegration of implants including pathophysiologic aspects as well as their potential implications on bone metabolism and osseointegration, implant success rate at the second-phase surgery and guidelines for pre and post-operative management. In experimental models of diabetes mellitus, a reduced level of bone-implant contact has been shown, and this can be reversed by means of treatment with insulin. Compared with the general population, a higher failure rate is seen in diabetic patients. Most of these occur at the second-phase surgery, seemingly pointing to the microvascular complications of this condition as a possible causal factor. It is necessary to take certain special considerations into account for the placement of implants in diabetic patient. A good control of plasma glycemia, together with other measures, has been shown to improve the percentages of implant survival in these patients.