Exploring the dynamics of dental implant failure in diabetics: Early and late onset

This systematic review aims to investigate the influence of diabetes mellitus (DM) on early and late dental implant failures, given the ambiguity in existing literature regarding the timing pattern of failures among diabetics. It was carried out using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify clinical human studies published from 2013 to 2023 that reported implant failures among diabetic individuals, early or late onset. Animal studies, ex vivo research, and reviews were excluded from the review. Ten relevant studies, encompassing over 4500 implants placed among diabetics, were analyzed. The majority demonstrated no statistically significant correlation between DM and early or late implant failure. While some studies noted marginally higher failure rates among diabetics, confounding variables such as glycemic control, implant type, surgical protocols, and postoperative care were identified as more influential factors. Within the scope of available evidence, which is mainly retrospective and heterogeneous, DM does not appear to be a consistent independent predictor of early or late dental implant failure. Rigorous glycemic control, optimized implant design, and comprehensive postoperative management may mitigate the systemic risk posed by DM. Further high-quality prospective studies are required to establish stronger and more conclusive evidence.