Interventions for replacing missing teeth: hyperbaric oxygen therapy for irradiated patients who require dental implants

Esposito M, Grusovin MG, Patel S, Worthington HV, Coulthard P

Published Online:

October 8, 2008

We could only identify one study including a limited number of patients. This study suggested that the use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy for patients who require dental implants after radiotherapy is of no apparent clinical benefit. HBO requires patients to breath pure oxygen under pressure in a specially designed chamber on several occasions. It has been suggested that HBO therapy will improve the healing of bone and tissues around dental implants, however the scarce scientific evidence available does not support this hypothesis. More reliable studies are needed to provide the final answer to this question.

Abstract (click to read)

Background:

Dental implants offer one way to replace missing teeth. Patients who have undergone radiotherapy and those that have also undergone surgery for cancer in the head and neck region may benefit particularly from reconstruction with implants. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) has been advocated to improve the success of implant treatment in patients who have undergone radiotherapy but this remains a controversial issue.

Objectives:

To compare success, morbidity, patient satisfaction and cost effectiveness of dental implant treatment carried out with and without HBO in irradiated patients.

Search strategy:

We searched the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE and EMBASE. Handsearching included several dental journals. We checked the bibliographies of relevant clinical trials and review articles for studies outside the handsearched journals. We wrote to authors of the identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs), to more than 55 oral implant manufacturers; we used personal contacts and we asked on an internet discussion group in an attempt to identify unpublished or ongoing RCTs. No language restriction was applied. The last electronic search was conducted on 13 June 2007.

Selection criteria:

Randomised controlled trials of HBO therapy for irradiated patients requiring dental implants.

Data collection and analysis:

Screening of eligible studies, assessment of the methodological quality of the trials and data extraction were conducted in duplicate and independently by two review authors. Results were expressed as random-effects models using mean differences for continuous outcomes and risk ratios for dichotomous outcomes with 95% confidence intervals.

Main results:

Only one RCT was identified and included. Thirteen patients received HBO therapy while other 13 did not. Two to six implants were placed in fully edentulous mandibles to be rehabilitated with bar-retained overdentures. One year after implant loading four patients died from each group. One patient, treated with HBO, developed an osteoradionecrosis and lost all implants so the prosthesis could not be provided. Five patients in the HBO group had at least one implant failure versus two in the control group. There were no statistically significant differences for prosthesis and implant failures, postoperative complications and patient satisfaction between the two groups.

Authors' conclusions:

Despite the limited amount of clinical research available, it appears that HBO therapy in irradiated patients requiring dental implants may not offer any appreciable clinical benefits. There is a definite need for more RCTs to ascertain the effectiveness of HBO in irradiated patients requiring dental implants. These trials ought to be of a high quality and reported as recommended by the CONSORT statement (www.consort-statement.org/). Each clinical centre may have limited numbers of patients and it is likely that trials will need to be multicentred.

This record should be cited as:

Esposito M, Grusovin MG, Patel S, Worthington HV, Coulthard P. Interventions for replacing missing teeth: hyperbaric oxygen therapy for irradiated patients who require dental implants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD003603. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003603.pub2

Assessed as up to date:

November 1, 2007

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Primary Review Group:

Oral Health Group

Health topics:

Dentistry & oral health > Oral & maxillofacial surgery > Implants/prosthesis

Complementary & alternative medicine > Dentistry & oral health > Oral & maxillofacial surgery

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Interventions for replacing missing teeth: hyperbaric oxygen therapy for irradiated patients who require dental implants

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