Tantalum Implants in Immunocompromised Patients: A Scoping Review

Abstract The increasing prevalence of systemic diseases and lifestyle-associated immune dysfunction has altered the clinical landscape of implant dentistry in India, with a growing proportion of patients presenting compromised healing potential. Conditions such as diabetes, tobacco exposure, thyroid dysfunction, and hypertension disrupt angiogenesis, delay bone turnover, and amplify inflammatory stress, thereby reducing the predictability of conventional titanium-based osseointegration. As implant success increasingly depends on material–host biological interaction rather than mechanical anchorage alone, there is a growing need to evaluate alternative biomaterials capable of supporting integration under compromised healing conditions. Tantalum, characterized by a highly porous trabecular architecture, reduced effective elastic modulus, and biologically stable surface chemistry, has attracted attention as a potential alternative in such high-risk settings. This scoping review aimed to systematically map and synthesize the existing experimental, preclinical, and clinical evidence evaluating the biological performance of tantalum dental implants in medically compromised patients, with particular relevance to India’s epidemiological profile. The available literature consistently indicates that tantalum supports deeper bone ingrowth, improved early mechanical fixation, and enhanced angiogenic response when compared with titanium in environments characterized by impaired vascularity and metabolic stress. These biological advantages appear most relevant in patients with diabetes, tobacco exposure, thyroid dysfunction, and hypertension, as well as in anatomically demanding regions with reduced bone quality. Despite these promising findings, current evidence is dominated by in vitro and animal studies, with a notable lack of long-term, condition-specific human clinical data. Within these limitations, tantalum may represent a selectively advantageous implant material in medically compromised individuals where titanium performance is biologically constrained. Further rigorously designed clinical studies are required to define its long-term role within integrative, patient-centered implant rehabilitation.