Cluster (Implant) Failure

Cluster (implant) failure refers to the occurrence of multiple dental implant failures in one patient. It can also refer to multiple implant failures in a minute group of patients that have been derived from a large pool of subjects. There are several possible causes behind cluster implant failures in a minute group. A practitioner may become less exacting in their placement techniques and may begin using shortcuts. The complexities in patient cases may also increase which can lead to a higher rate of implant failures within that patient group. Changes in the manufacturing of the hardware or implants themselves may also lead to an increase in failure rate. Finally, chance may also play a roll in cluster implant failure. There may be no changes to a practitioner’s technique, to the implants or hardware, or to the complexity of patient cases yet simply by chance, implant failures can take place in a cluster of patients that appear to make the failure rate much higher.