title: Irradiated patients and survival rate of dental implants: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radiotherapy has been considered a contraindication for rehabilitation with dental implants because it can change the survival rate of implants. Nevertheless, the installation of implants in irradiated patients has been used with varying success.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this systematic review was to compare the success rate of implants placed in irradiated human bone tissue with that of implants placed in nonirradiated areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Searches were performed in the EMBASE, Cochrane, and PubMed/Medline databases up to December 2013 to identify clinical trials addressing the subject. This systematic review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The relative risks of implant failure and survival curves were calculated considering a confidence interval of 95%. Heterogeneity was analyzed by using a funnel chart.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 40 studies involving 2220 participants and 9231 dental implants were selected. The survival curve of the studies indicated a survival rate of 84.3% for implants installed in irradiated bone tissue. The meta-analysis indicated statistically significant differences (P<.001) between item success rates of implants placed in irradiated areas and those of implants placed in nonirradiated areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dental implants installed in the irradiated area of an oral cavity have a high survival rate, but strict monitoring is needed to prevent complications, thereby reducing possible failures.
authors.affiliation: Doctoral student, Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, Aracatuba Dental School, Paulista State University, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adhara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smith Nobrega
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor and Dean of Research and Graduate Studies (PRPPG), Sacred Heart University, Bauru, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joel Ferreira
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Santiago
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Dental School, Federal University of Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Augusto
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: de Faria Almeida
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Aracatuba Dental School, Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, Paulista State University, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela Micheline
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, Aracatuba Dental School, Paulista State University, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Piza
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Pellizzer
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, Aracatuba Dental School, Paulista State University, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: goiato@foa.unesp.br.
authors.forename: Marcelo Coelho
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Goiato
mesh_terms: D015921:Dental Implants; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007568:Jaw / Q000528:radiation effects; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants