Primary stability with osseodensification drilling of dental implants in the posterior maxilla region in humans: A systematic review

Currently, a new non-subtractive drilling technique, called osseodensification (OD), has been developed. It involves using specially designed drills with large negative cutting angles that rotate counterclockwise, causing expansion through plastic bone deformation, thus compacting the autologous bone to the osteotomy walls, which improves the primary stability of the implant. The present systematic review aimed to determine whether the OD technique can increase the primary stability of dental implants in the posterior maxilla region as compared to the conventional drilling (CD) technique. Five databases were searched up to June 30, 2022. The inclusion criteria embraced observational clinical studies, randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, human studies in vivo, comparing OD and CD, with the measurement of the primary stability of implants in the posterior maxilla region by means of the implant stability quotient (ISQ). The tools used to assess the risk of bias were RoB 2 and the Newcastle– Ottawa Scale (NOS). Seven articles met the inclusion criteria, with 4 classified as having a low risk of bias and 3 with a moderate risk of bias. The OD technique consistently demonstrated an average ISQ value of 73 KHz across all studies, whereas CD yielded an average value of 58.49 kHz (p < 0.001 for 5 articles). It can be concluded that in comparison with CD, OD improves primary stability at baseline in low-density bone, such as the maxilla.