Dental Implant Survival and Complication Rate over 2 Years for Individuals with Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that implant therapy may be a viable option for diabetic individuals with elevated glycemic levels.

Purpose: The purpose of this 2 year observational study was to evaluate survival and clinical complications of dental implants following placement in type 2 diabetes individuals having poor glycemic control.

Materials and methods: Adult participants (n = 24) with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (8.0% ≤ HbA1c ≤ 12.0%) received two or more transgingival dental implants. Survival was evaluated after 1 (23 participants, 72 implants) and 2 (20 participants, 59 implants) years. Clinical complications were evaluated in 18 participants (52 implants) after 21-34 months. Relationships between complications and stratified HbA1c levels were assessed using Pearson's correlation test.

Results: Survival rates were 98.6% (71/72 implants) after 1 year and 96.6% (57/59 implants) after 2 years. Complications were identified in 29% of participants with peri-implant mucositis, the most common event. Complications correlated directly with number of implants across HbA1c strata (0.42, R² = 0.66). There was no correlation between HbA1c and the occurrences of complications or mucositis.

Conclusions: This 2-year evaluation supports the broader application of implant therapy in type 2 diabetes individuals with poor glycemic control in demonstrating high survival rates with limited complications.