Assessing the evidence supporting the claims of select dental implant surfaces: a systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
The claims in some dental implant marketing brochures may lack strong supporting evidence. The objective of this review was to examine peer-reviewed literature to assess the strength of evidence to support selected claims, to help clinicians in making evidence-based decisions.


METHODS
The claims proposed by Astra Tech, Straumann, 3i and Nobel Biocare, all companies with a significant market presence, were examined. A PubMed database search was conducted using the following limits- English language, RCT, Meta- analysis, 1970-2006. Selective searching using the Cochrane database and Google Scholar was performed up to 2008 for searches that had exhibited no outcomes with the PubMed search. We performed quantitative and qualitative analysis of these RCTs and assessed if the claims could be supported by these RCTs.


RESULTS
The data were extremely heterogeneous, making comparisons difficult. The majority of the included RCTs were rated as having low risk of bias. Some of the claims proposed by the companies could not be completely substantiated on the basis of the relevant literature.


CONCLUSIONS
Future studies should follow the guidelines as stated in the CONSORT statement to enable standardisation and comparison across different implant systems.
Bhatavadekar
Neel
N
drneel1@gmail.com
D015982:Bias; D015921:Dental Implants; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D055094:Evidence-Based Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards; D013499:Surface Properties; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015921:Dental Implants