Antidepressants linked with dental implant failure

dental implantsPatients with dental implants are more than twice as likely to experience failure if they are taking some of the most common antidepressants.

The antidepressants in question are the family of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Lexapro, and Zoloft .

While the study, carried out at McGill University in Canada, does not reach any conclusions about the effect of dosage on dental implants, the authors conclude that more research needs to be done.

Professor Faleh Tamimi was the lead author of the study, titled ‘Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and the Risk of Osseointegrated Implant Failure’.

He said: ‘Because antidepressants, which are widely used around the world, are reported to increase the risk of bone fracture and reduce bone formation, we were curious to see how they might affect dental implants.

‘Even so, we were surprised to discover that the negative effect of SSRIs on dental implants was so strong, almost equal to that of smoking, a well-established hazard for oral health.

‘What this study tells us is both that further work needs to be done in the field.’

The full study is available here.

Favorite
Get the most out of your membership by subscribing to Dentistry CPD
  • Access 600+ hours of verified CPD courses
  • Includes all GDC recommended topics
  • Powerful CPD tracking tools included
Register for webinar
Share
Add to calendar