Survival and Marginal Bone Loss in Immediate Post-Extraction Implants versus Delayed Implants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There are a series of protocols regarding the placement of dental implants after tooth extraction. The advantages and disadvantages that determine the procedure and timing of each dental implant placement process are key to achieving success. The main objective of this study was to elucidate/establish/determine whether there are differences in the survival and marginal bone loss between implants placed immediately after placement and those placed following a delayed protocol. A search was conducted in Pubmed, BVS, and Cochrane. Eleven randomized clinical trials that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected, and a meta-analysis was carried out to compare the implant failures and marginal bone loss between study groups. The analysis showed that delayed implant placement had fewer failures (odds ratio, fixed effects: 3.47 [CI: 95% (1.17, 10.48)]). As regards marginal bone loss, there was a tendency towards less tissue loss in the delayed placement group (mean difference, random effects: 0.11 [CI: 95% (-0.10, 0.33)]); however, further research is needed to evaluate this variable.