Dental Implants Placed in Grafted and Non-Grafted Sites: A Systematic Review

There is a scarcity of data regarding the long-term follow-up of dental implants placed in grafted or non-grafted sites. The aim was to systematically review clinical studies which, compared the implant survival rate (ISR) after at least 10 years for dental implants placed in grafted and non-grafted sites.

The focused question addressed was: 'Is there a difference in the ISR of dental implants placed in grafted and non-grafted sites for at least a decade?' The inclusion criteria were: (a) clinical studies, (b) studies on patients who had undergone dental implant therapy, (c) studies with at least 10 years follow-up, and (d) studies that compared the clinical and radiographic status around implants placed in grafted and non-grafted sites. Indexed databases (PubMed/Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, OVID, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar) were searched without time and language restrictions up to and including December 2020 using different keywords. The literature search was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The risk of bias was assessed, and the pattern of the present systematic review was customised to summarise pertinent information.

The initial search yielded 412 studies through electronic database searching. An additional 30 studies were identified through manual searching of full texts of studies. In total, three studies were included and processed for data extraction. In these studies, the number of participants ranged between 34 and 96 individuals. The mean age ranged between 47.2 and 67.6 years. The reported ISR ranged between 91.6% and 100%. All studies had a low risk of bias. Due to the high heterogeneity among the studies included, a meta-analysis could not be done. Prior sample-size estimation was done in none of the studies.

Dental implants placed in grafted and non-grafted sites demonstrate similar ISR for at least a decade. However, further well-designed and power-adjusted studies are needed.