Association of the Systemic Inflammatory Burden Score With Early and Delayed Dental Implant Failures: A Retrospective...

Dental implant therapy is a predictable treatment option; however, implant failures continue to occur owing to a combination of local and systemic factors. The role of cumulative systemic inflammatory burden in influencing implant outcomes has gained increasing attention. This study aimed to evaluate the association between systemic inflammatory burden score (SIBS) and early and delayed dental implant failure.

This retrospective observational cohort study was conducted using a prospectively maintained institutional database of patients who underwent dental implant placement between January 2005 and December 2023. Adult patients with complete records and a minimum follow-up period of six months were included. Implant failure was categorized as either early (≤12 months) or delayed (>12 months). SIBS was calculated based on diabetes, smoking, periodontitis, and immunosuppression, and it was categorized into low, moderate, and high tiers. Statistical analyses included comparative tests and multinomial logistic regression.

A total of 730 implants were analyzed, of which 635 (86.99%) were successful, 40 (5.48%) showed early failure, and 55 (7.53%) demonstrated delayed failure. Low SIBS (0-3) was predominant in successful implants, whereas high SIBS (8-12) was more frequent in the early and delayed failure groups than in the success group (p < 0.001). High SIBS scores were associated with increased odds of early and delayed failures. Each unit increase in SIBS score increased the odds of overall failure by 18%. Implant diameter was protective against early failure, whereas greater implant length was associated with delayed failure.

The systemic inflammatory burden significantly influenced implant failure, particularly delayed failure. Incorporating SIBS into clinical assessments may improve the risk stratification and treatment outcomes.