The Prevalence of Early Implant Failure and Associated Risk Factors: A Retrospective Study

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of early implant failure at Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Dental Hospital, Faculty of Dentistry of Mahidol University.

All implant placements performed between 2016 and 2023 were collected from the hospital's database (SSB program) using specific treatment codes. Failed implants were retrieved from the claimed implant list and categorized as early or late failures based on the timing of final restoration. Early failures were selected for further analysis, with data extracted from their respective treatment records, including patient's demographic data, periodontal status, and implant's characteristics.

A total of 7,368 dental implants were placed, of which 114 failed before final restoration and were subsequently removed. The prevalence of early implant failure was 1.55%. Univariate analysis revealed associations between early implant failure and a history of periodontitis, diameter of implant, location of implant placement, level of implant platform as determined by radiographic analysis, covering materials of implants. Moreover, length of implant was also having a trend toward association with early implant failure (p=0.052). From multivariate logistic regression analysis, only diameter (p=0.003) and length of implant (p=0.022) were associated with early implant failure.

Our findings suggest that implant diameters less than 3.5 mm and lengths less than 10 mm are associated with an increased risk of early implant failure. Further research is warranted to clarify the influence of other potential contributing factors.