SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are the most common anti-depressant medications prescribed by New York medical practitioners. However, according to a recently published scientific paper by the International and American Associations for Dental Research, the administration of SSRIs could be resulting in a higher risk of implant failure for patients receiving new teeth. The exact mechanism for this is suspected to be the impediment of bone healing, as well as the greater risk of bone fracture.
A Dental Implant Surgeon in New York Explains…
“In the weeks and months following implant placement in the jawbone, the bone will actually bond to the surface of the implant as it heals. In doing so, the implant becomes permanently fixed in the jawbone, very similar to a natural tooth root. The problem with SSRIs, according to this study, is that they would seem to impede the natural process of osseointegration, which describes the healing of the bone around the implant and the attachment of the bone to the implant,” says the dental implant dentist in New York.
More About the Study
This study, which was published in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR), examined a total of 490 patients who had dental implants placed in a 6-year period from January 2007 to January 2013. A whopping 916 implants were placed of which 94 were done on 51 patients who were actively taking anti-depressant medication at the time. After anywhere between three months and 5,5 years – with continuous follow-up appointments with a dental implant surgeon – a total of 10 dental implants failed in the group of patients who were taking SSRIs, while 38 failed in those who weren’t.
The Outcomes and What They Mean
“The most obvious result yielded by this study is the link between an increase in the risk of implant failure and the taking of SSRI medication,” says an experienced dental implant surgeon in New York. “According to the study, the failure rate amongst those patients who weren’t taking SSRIs was 4.6%, while it was 10.6% for those who were. This is a significant result that could very well indicate that anti-depressant medications could render you twice as likely to experience dental implant failure.”
The study did emphasize that there were secondary risk factors that included the size of the implants used (smaller diameters = greater risk of implant failure) whether bone grafting had been done (bone grafting = greater risk) and whether the patient was a smoker (tobacco-use = greater risk). Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between anti-depressant medications and implant failure.
The Importance of the Study
“Dental implant surgery represents a considerable investment by any patient, both financially and in their good oral health, smile aesthetics and bite functionality,” comments a professional dentist in New York. “It’s not undertaken lightly, so understanding the various risk factors for implant failure is a very important step in maximizing the positive outcomes of this approach to treating tooth loss. If we can understand the risks, we can do our best to avoid and/or mitigate them.”