A retrospective analysis of dental implant survival in HIV patients

This 5 years retrospective cohort survival study compared failure rates of dental implants placed in HIV (+) and HIV (-) patients relative to several risk factors.

Between 2006 and 2015, 484 implants placed in HIV (+) patients and 805 implants placed in HIV (-) patients were assessed for survival. The effects of HIV were estimated using propensity weighting. The effects of age, smoking status, diabetes, restoration status, gender, implant type, placement site, hepatitis C status, baseline CD4 count and CD4%, post-placement average CD4%, nadir CD4%, nadir CD4 count and antiviral therapy were analysed.

Implants placed in HIV (+) patients and HIV (-) patients had similar failure rates (HR = 1.4, p = 0.34). Increased failure rates were observed in HIV (+) patients with baseline CD4% ≤20 (HR = 2.72, p = 0.04), post-placement CD4% average ≤20% (HR = 2.71, p = 0.04), protease inhibitor administration (HR = 2.74, p = 0.04), smoking (HR = 2.61, p = 0.05) and anterior maxillary placement (HR = 5.82, p < 0.01). Hepatitis C coinfection, viral titre, baseline CD4 count, gender, implant type and restoration type were non-contributory.

Implants placed in HIV (+) patients had similar survival rates as HIV (-) patients. Failure rates increase significantly when confounding risk factors are present in HIV (+) patients.