Clinical Effect of the Insertion Torque on Dental Implants: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objectives: This systematic review evaluated the clinical effect of insertion torque by comparing high versus regular/low torques during dental implant placement in terms of marginal bone loss and implant survival rate.
Methods: Two independent reviewers searched electronic databases for studies published until November 2018. The question focused in this review was “Do patients who receive implants with a high torque show similar marginal bone loss and implant survival rates as compared to those who receive implants with a regular/low torque?”.
Results: The search yielded six articles, which included 389 patients (mean age: 55.28 years) who had received 651 dental implants (437 with high torque and 214 with low/regular torque), were selected. No significant difference was observed between high-torque and regular/low-torque implant placement in implant survival rate (P=0.52, risk ratio (RR): 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06 to 4.06), and marginal bone loss (P=0.30, mean difference (MD): 0.15, 95% CI: -0.14 to 0.44).
Conclusions: In conclusion, insertion of torque during implant placement does not affect implant survival rate and marginal bone loss. Thus, while obtaining a high torque should not be considered as a primary factor for rehabilitation success, it also does not affect the clinical outcomes of the dental implant.