Antidepressants Linked to Implant Failure

A new study finds that antidepressants, commonly used to treat anxiety, pain, and other disorders, may play a role in dental implant failure by inhibiting bone growth.

Researchers at the University of Buffalo (UB; NY, USA) performed a retrospective chart review of 74 patients (41 females/33 males) aged 18 or older who received dental implants in the UB post-doctoral dental clinic between January and August 2014. The study cohort consisted of patients who reported using at least one type of antidepressant, while the control group consisted of patients with no such history. The number of implants received per patient ranged between one and 11, with implant failure defined as loss of at least one implant.

The results showed that six (7.9%) of the patients experienced implant failure, each losing only one implant. The frequency of antidepressant use was higher in patients who experienced implant failure (33.3%) compared to those who did not (11.3%). The odds of implant failure among antidepressant drug users were about four times higher compared to controls, with each year of antidepressant use associated with two-fold increase in the odds of implant failure. The study was presented at the 45th annual American Association for Dental Research (AADR) conference, held during March 2016 in Los Angeles (CA, USA).

“Four of the many known side effects that are reported in the literature are a big concern to us as dentists in regard to oral and bone health,” said study coauthor Latifa Bairam, DDS, MS, of the UB department of restorative dentistry. “Additional side effects of antidepressants include osteoporosis; akathisia, a disorder characterized by the need to be in constant motion, including the head and jaw; bruxism, or teeth grinding; and dryness of the mouth, all of which affect the implant healing process.”

Antidepressants are used for the treatment of major depressive disorder and a range of other conditions, including dysthymia, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, chronic and neuropathic pain and dysmenorrhoea, snoring, migraine, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), addiction, dependence, and sleep disorders.

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