Implant Failure
The condition in which a dental implant no longer meets defined clinical success criteria, typically manifesting as mobility, unresolvable infection, or the need for removal.
Full Definition
Implant failure is categorised as early (occurring before osseointegration or before prosthetic loading) or late (occurring after a period of functional loading). Early failure is commonly attributed to surgical trauma, infection, or inadequate bone quantity/quality. Late failure is more often associated with peri-implantitis, occlusal overload, or progressive crestal bone loss. It is important for editors to distinguish 'implant failure' from 'implant success rate' and 'implant survival rate': survival implies the implant is still in situ regardless of complications, while success implies it meets all defined health and functional criteria. A 'failed' implant may still be 'surviving'.
Usage
Usage note: Always specify early versus late failure in clinical reports. Do not use 'failure' and 'loss' interchangeably without definition, as some classification systems treat them differently.
In Context
- "Two implant failures were recorded in the test group, both presenting with mobility at the 3-month review." — Clinical trial results
- "Authors should specify whether 'implant failure' in this context denotes removal or simply failure to meet success criteria, as the distinction affects outcome reporting." — Editorial query