Current status of the treatment with dental implants in patients with extensive jaw defects after treatment of oral and maxillofacial diseases: Single institute retrospective observational study

Objective We examined the current status of the dental implant treatments in patients with extensive jaw defects after treatment for various oral and maxillofacial diseases in our hospital. Methods Forty-three patients with extensive jaw defects who underwent dental implant treatments covered by Japanese public health insurance were included in this study. The primary diseases of the patients were malignant tumor (n=24), benign tumor (n=12), cleft lip and palate (n=3), trauma (n=2), and osteoradionecrosis (n=2). We extracted factors related to the loss of dental implants and assessed the recovery of the masticatory function of the patients using gummy jellies. Results One hundred fourteen dental implants were placed in 43 patients, and 9 dental implants were lost during early period of the treatment. The follow-up period after implant placement ranged from 1 year 6 months to 12 years. The masticatory function in 7 patients with a removable denture on dental implants increased significantly from before to after denture placement (p=0.008). The masticatory function in 5 patients with fixed prosthesis was similar to that in 14 healthy individuals. In univariate analysis, loss of dental implants was higher in patients with maxillary dental implants (p=0.025), maxillary cantilever denture retained with implants on existing maxillary bone (p=0.032), and patients who received radiotherapy (p=0.034). No factor showed significance in multivariate analysis. Conclusions Despite the complicated surgical conditions and limited option of prosthesis in the patients with extensive jaw defects, good outcomes were achieved and the dental implant treatments improved their masticatory function.