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ShareJan. 13, 2010 — Bone loss around dental implants is far more common than previously realised, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Around a quarter of patients loose some degree of supporting bone around their implants.
The study analysed X-rays of over 600 patients. The more implants a patient had in the jaw, the more common it was to find loss of supporting bone. Just over a quarter -- 28 per cent -- of patients had lost some degree of supporting bone around their implants.
"Contrary to what we had previously assumed, the bone loss in these patients was not linear, but instead accelerated with time," says consultant dental surgeon Christer Fransson, who wrote the thesis. "This is a new discovery that shows just how important it is to detect and treat bone loss around implants at an early stage."
Smoking is one of several factors that increase the risk of bone loss. In the study smokers had more implants with bone loss than non-smokers.
The thesis also shows that the soft tissues surrounding an implant with bone loss is often inflamed.
"It's important to examine the tissues around implants in the same way as we examine the tissues around teeth," says Fransson. "In that way we can notice early signs of inflammation and treat it before the bone loss has any serious consequences."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Gothenburg, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal References:
- Fransson, C., Lekholm, U., Jemt, T., Berglundh, T. Prevalence of subjects with progressive bone loss at implants. Clinical Oral Implants Research, 2005; 16 (4): 440 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0501.2005.01137.x
- Fransson, C., Wennström, J., Berglundh, T. Clinical characteristics at implants with a history of progressive bone loss. Clinical Oral Implants Research, 2008; 19 (2): 142 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0501.2007.01448.x
- Fransson, C., Wennström, J., Tomasi, C., Berglundh, T. Extent of peri-implantitis-associated bone loss. Journal Of Clinical Periodontology, 2009; 36 (4): 357 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-051X.2009.01375.x
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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