Is Down syndrome a risk factor or contraindication for dental implants? A systematic review

Statement of problem Whether oral rehabilitation with dental implants in patients with Down syndrome leads to an increased complication rate is unclear. Purpose The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness of dental implants placed in patients with Down syndrome and whether the condition is a risk factor or contraindication for dental implant placement. Material and methods Searches were conducted in 6 databases, including the non–peer-reviewed literature, up to February 2021 by 2 independent reviewers according to established inclusion and exclusion criteria to answer this question: Is Down syndrome a risk factor or contraindication for oral rehabilitation with dental implants? Results A total of 655 studies were initially found in the databases. Five were included in this systematic review, all of which were observational studies. A total of 50 patients with 186 implants were evaluated, with a reported effectiveness of 79.1%. The risk of bias assessment determined that 3 of the 5 studies had a high risk of bias. Conclusions Treatment with dental implants in patients with Down syndrome is a suitable option, but more complications are to be expected than with patients without this condition. Controlled studies with better methodological design and less risk of bias should be developed to improve the scientific evidence for the treatment of these patients.