Objectives: To make an inventory of clinical studies on single-tooth restor
ations supported by implants using a systematic review procedure and to agg
regate overall survival results.
Data sources: Papers referring to single-tooth implants were located by a M
EDLINE search 1990 to April 1998. Three hundred and twenty references were
found, and they were subjected to a systematic review procedure.
Study selection: A three-step inclusion/exclusion procedure was applied to
identify papers that represented: good scientific practice (GSP), reported
results of all patients, implants and crowns for more than 2 years, and had
sufficient data to generate life-table analyses. The outcomes were 'implan
t failure' and 'crown completion'. Nine studies survived. These data showed
an overall mean GSP of 0.37 with a predicted 4 year implant survival of 97
% (n = 459), and an uncomplicated crown maintenance of 83% (n = 240).
Conclusion: Single-tooth implants show an acceptable short-term survival of
4 years, but crown complications are common. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd
. All rights reserved.