How do different levels of smoking affect dental implants?

Area of Science:

• Dental Implantology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Smoking is a known risk factor for various health issues, including poor wound healing.
• The impact of smoking dose on dental implant survival rates requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize evidence on the association between smoking and dental implant failure.
• To determine if a dose-response relationship exists between cigarette consumption and implant failure.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases up to January 2019.
• Included studies were randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and case series reporting dental implant failures in smokers.
• Data extraction and quality assessment (Newcastle-Ottawa scale) were performed, with subgroup analysis based on daily cigarette consumption.

Main Results:

• Smokers of fewer than 10 cigarettes per day exhibited a higher implant failure rate compared to non-smokers (p = 0.046).
• Patients smoking more than 10 cigarettes daily demonstrated significantly higher failure rates than those smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes per day (p < 0.001).
• A clear dose-dependent relationship between smoking and increased dental implant failure was observed.

Conclusions:

• Increased smoking consumption directly correlates with a higher incidence of dental implant failure.
• Smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes daily may be considered a threshold for acceptable risk regarding dental implant survival.