Can Preoperative Blood Inflammatory Biomarkers Predict Early Dental Implant Outcomes in Systemically Healthy Patients?

The aim of this study was to assess whether baseline the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and C-reactive protein (CRP) could predict postoperative outcomes in systemically healthy patients receiving dental implants. A retrospective analysis of 116 systemically healthy adults receiving dental implants was conducted. To minimise confounding, individuals over 50 years old, smokers, and those with systemic diseases, stage III/IV periodontitis, or current medication use were excluded. Periodontal status was classified as clinically healthy or stable. Baseline CRP and complete blood count-derived indices (NLR, PLR, SII) were recorded preoperatively. The primary outcome was osseointegration (proper versus impaired). Implant success was 95.7% (n = 111), with early implant failure occurring in 4.3% (n = 5). Females exhibited higher PLR values than males (p = 0.041), and SII was higher in periodontally stable patients compared to clinically healthy ones (p = 0.036). In systemically healthy patients, routine preoperative screening based on NLR, PLR, and CRP did not improve prediction of early implant failure, whereas SII demonstrated good, statistically significant discrimination (p = 0.015). These findings emphasise the need for further research to clarify the predictive value of blood inflammatory biomarkers.