Factors influencing long-term implant success.

An implant quotient (IQ) has been proposed to help clinicians identify the 24 factors that can affect the potential long-term success of endosseous dental implants. Maximizing the positive factors and minimizing the negative factors will result in relatively high values for the theoretical IQ. Long-term success is directly proportional to the resultant value of the IQ. The greater the value of the IQ, the better the possibility for long-term success. The length of healing time and the necessity for submerged healing are indirectly proportional to the resultant value of the IQ. The greater the value of the IQ, the shorter the healing time before loading an endosseous implant may be. The greater the value of the IQ, the less necessary it becomes to submerge the healing implant.