Evaluation of the Differences in the Stability of Alveolar Bone around Dental Implant and Implant Failure between Platform Matching and Platform Switching: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: This research was designed to carry out a meta-analysis in order to evaluate the dissimilarities in the stability of alveolar bone round dental implants and implant failure between platform switching (PS) and platform mating (PM). Methods: The investigation utilized a comprehensive search strategy that incorporated controlled vocabulary (MeSH) and free-text terms. This search was performed by two reviewers to identify published systematic reviews. Three major electronic databases, including Medline via PubMed, the Cochrane database, and Embase, were searched up to November 2023. Results: Initially, 466 articles were identified, but only twelve studies met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. The results showed that the pooled mean difference for reducing marginal bone loss (MBL) was −0.60 (95% confidence interval (CI), −0.91 to −0.28; p < 0.01). A sensitivity analysis was conducted by excluding a single study, which yielded a result of −0.46 (95% CI, −0.66 to −0.25; p < 0.01). The test for overall effect was significant (p < 0.01), and it revealed that there were significant differences between subgroups. However, the meta-analysis on implant failure did not show a significant difference between PS and PM implants. Conclusions: In conclusion, the study found that PS implants are more effective in reducing MBL compared to PM implants. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed in the long-term effectiveness of reducing MBL and implant failure rate.