Implant Treatment in Patients With Autoimmune Diseases: A Systematic Review and Analysis of Studies

Dental implants provide a reliable solution for edentulous patients with autoimmune diseases improving quality of life. The present systematic review aimed to determine whether autoimmune diseases with oral manifestations could affect the survival rate of dental implants. A systematic search was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA), using Google Scholar and PubMed electronic databases, between the year 2000 and February 2024. The eligibility criteria included human studies, in English language reporting on patients with autoimmune diseases treated with dental implants. Nineteen studies were included: nine on oral lichen planus (OLP), four on Sjögren's syndrome (SS), five on epidermolysis bullosa (EB), and one on lupus erythematosus (LE). A total of 389 implants in 142 patients with OLP showed a survival rate (SR) of 94.6%, while 316 implants in 111 patients with SS had a survival rate of 95.8%. In 31 patients with EB, 181 implants were placed with a survival rate of 99.5%, and 12 implants were placed in five patients with LE with a survival rate of 100% after one year of function. Despite the heterogeneity and methodological limitations of most of the studies, the results showed that dental implant survival rates were comparable to those reported in the general population. This review suggested that dental implants are a viable treatment option for patients with autoimmune diseases. Nevertheless, proper daily oral hygiene and long-term follow-up are decisive factors for the long-term maintenance of dental implants.