The Success Rate of Dental Implants in Type 2 Diabetic Patients. A Systematic Review

Purpose: Diabetes has always been a challenge in implant treatment. The hyperglycemia present in diabetic individuals negatively affects bone healing, and with an increased risk of osteoporosis and delayed wound healing, it impacts the success rate of implants. However, implants in diabetic patients with controlled diabetes have a high success rate similar to that of non-diabetic individuals. This study aims to determine the success rate of dental implants in patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: Based on PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review included 23 articles, comprising ten articles from the PubMed database and 13 articles from the Google Scholar database. The search strategy included terms related to dental implants in diabetic patients, and the performance of articles was examined systematically. Results: Overall, the success rate of dental implants in individuals with type 2 diabetes in the articles included in this study was 93.67%, and the failure rate was 6.33%. Specifically, the average HbA1c was 7.26%, the average age was 52.41 years, the average number of implants was 1.91, and the duration of diabetes in individuals included in this study was 7.46 years. Therefore, factors such as HbA1c, age, number of implants, duration of diabetes, and blood sugar control (whether controlled or uncontrolled) are reasons for the similarities and differences in the success rate of implants in patients with type 2 diabetes. An increase in these factors leads to a higher rate of dental implant failure in these individuals (due to delayed wound healing, weakened immune system, and increased susceptibility to osteoporosis and infections). While the first three factors were reasons for the differences in implant success rates between diabetic and non-diabetic groups, the success rate for non-diabetic individuals included in this study was 98.68%, and the failure rate was 1.32%. The average HbA1c was about 5.39%, the average age was 49.98 years, and the average number of implants was 1.63. Conclusion: In conclusion, this systematic review aimed to determine the success rate of dental implants in patients with type 2 diabetes. Our findings indicate that dental implants in patients with controlled type 2 diabetes have a high success rate similar to non-diabetic patients. However, in patients with poorly controlled diabetes, the success rate decreases significantly. Therefore, the controlled blood sugar, HbA1c level, age, number of implants and the duration of diabetes are crucial factors in achieving a high success rate in diabetic patients.