Short Implants Can Remain Functionally Stable in Smokers

Dentistry Today

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Peri-implant clinical and radiographic inflammatory parameters (probing depth [PD], bleeding on probing [BOP] and plaque index [PI], and radiographic crestal bone loss [CBL]) are worse among cigarette-smokers (CS) compared with never-smokers (NS) with short implants, hypothesize researchers from the King Saud University College of Dentistry

A 6-year follow-up retrospective study compared the peri-implant clinical and radiographic parameters in CS and NS with short dental implants (6 mm in length). The study involved 56 male individuals who were divided into 2 groups. Group one comprised 29 self-reported systemically healthy CS with 48 short-implants. Group 2 comprised 27 self-reported systemically healthy NS with 43 short implants. Peri-implant PD, PI, BOP, and CBL were measured.

The researchers compared the groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test and estimated their sample size. The level of significance was set at P values < .05. In groups one and 2, the follow-up durations were 6.2 ± 0.1 years and 6.1 ± 0.3 years, respectively. 

A cigarette smoking history of 8.9 ± 3.6 pack years was reported by individuals in group one. At followup, scores of peri-implant PD, BOP, PI, and mesial and distal CBL were comparable around short implants in both groups. The study concludes that under strict oral hygiene maintenance protocols, short dental implants can remain functionally stable in CS in a manner similar to NS. 

The study, “Comparison of peri-implant clinical and radiographic status around short (6 mm in length) dental implants placed in cigarette-smokers and never-smokers: Six-year follow-up results,” was published by Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research.

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