Nicotine, the Predictor of Success or Failure of Dental Implants: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND: Dental implant therapy is a treatment of choice in missing teeth. However, certain conditions such as smoking, hypertension, and diabetes have negative influence on success of dental implants. Nicotine is found to cause osteoclastic changes. The present study was conducted to assess the relationship between nicotine and implant failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present retrospective study included 2570 patients of both genders. They were divided into two groups. Group I consisted of 1250 patients with a history of smoking and Group II were nonsmokers and comprised 1320 patients. The presence of pain, mobility, and inflammation was considered positive signs for implant failure. RESULTS: The results showed that in Group I, males had 6.13% and females had 5% dental implant failure. Overall failure rate in Group I was 5.56%. In Group II, males had 2.98% and females had 0.9% failure. Overall failure rate in Group II was 2.35%. The difference between both groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In Group I, maximum (56), and in Group II, 18 patients had habit of >10 years of smoking. Maximum patients had habit of consumption of >20 cigarettes/day (Group I) and Group II had only 10 patients with this frequency. Maximum dental implant failures were observed in maxillary arch (70) than in mandibular arch (32). The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Smoking influences the survival rate of dental implants. Thus, patient should be educated to discontinue the habit before implant placement.