Dental Implant Failures:The Ugly Truth

The field of implantology has transformed from an unpredictable art to a well grounded clinical science as a hyper specialized treatment modality. As a result of continued research in treatment planning, implant designs, materials and techniques, predictable success is now a reality for many challenging clinical situations. However, many variables affect oral implants, hence it is difficult to reliably predict the likelihood of an implant¿s success. It is well established that the failure can occur even under best care. This publication elaborates on the factors of importance in the long-term success and failure of oral implants. It is therefore an attempt to draw a conclusion on the vulnerability of dental implants and their prognosis. It also emphasizes on the importance of ongoing clinical supervision of a patient¿s implant condition with a good recall program and the necessity to accumulate clinical data concerning implant failures over an extended period of time in a standardized manner.