Success criteria for dental implants were proposed by Albrektsson et al in the 1980s and while osseointegration remains a predominant marker a range of other parameters have been introduced over the years.  The aim of this review was to was to examine the most frequently used criteria to define treatment success in implant dentistry.

The authors conducted a search of the Medline database supplemented with a manual search of references of identified articles.  Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective studies in English reporting on outcomes of roughened surface implants with at least five-year follow-up were included.

25 studies ( 2 RCTs , 23 prospective studies) were included with only 2 having a low risk of bias.  Data were analyzed for success at four main parameter, the implant level, peri-implant soft tissue, prosthetics, and patient satisfaction. The most frequently reported criteria are shown in the table below.

[table id=15 /]

The reported success rate consistently decreased when the number of parameters included for assessment of success was increased.

The authors concluded

Success in implant dentistry should ideally evaluate a long-term primary outcome of an implant-prosthetic complex as a whole.

Papaspyridakos P, Chen CJ, Singh M, Weber HP, Gallucci GO. Success Criteria in Implant Dentistry: A Systematic Review. J Dent Res. 2011 Dec 8. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 22157097.