Implant Survival Rate
The percentage of placed implants that remain in situ and are functional at a defined follow-up point, regardless of any complications or need for intervention.
Full Definition
Implant survival rate is a primary outcome metric in implant dentistry research, quantifying the proportion of implants that have not been removed by a given time point. An implant is considered 'surviving' even if it has experienced biological or mechanical complications, provided it is still in function. This distinguishes the term from 'implant success rate,' which applies stricter criteria encompassing bone level, absence of pain, and absence of infection. Editors must ensure authors do not equate survival with success, as conflating these metrics is a common and consequential error in outcomes reporting.
Usage
Usage note: Never substitute 'success rate' for 'survival rate' without verifying the criteria applied; the distinction is clinically and statistically material.
In Context
- "The five-year implant survival rate was 97.3%, though two implants exhibited ongoing peri-implantitis that precluded them from meeting success criteria." — Long-term cohort study
- "The editor flagged that the authors used 'survival' and 'success' interchangeably and requested they align with Albrektsson's success criteria throughout." — Peer-review editorial note