E-cigarette aerosol exposure may negatively affect dental implant integration, potentially compromising osseointegration. The review study was recently published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medicine, and Pathology.
"Clinicians should be aware of the potential risks associated with e-cigarette use in patients undergoing dental implant therapy and consider incorporating discussions on smoking cessation strategies into preoperative consultations," wrote the authors, led by Vorapol Pianjitlertkajorn of Phakdi Chumphon Hospital in Thailand (J Oral Maxillofac Surg Med Pathol, October 24, 2024).
The review aimed to examine the complex relationship between e-cigarette use, oral health, and dental implant success. A search on PubMed identified studies on how e-cigarettes affect osseointegration, peri-implant tissue health, and oral inflammation.
Studies on smoking and implant success have highlighted complications in smokers, such as implant failure and peri-implantitis. Although e-cigarettes have fewer harmful chemicals than traditional cigarettes, their effects on implant success are concerning. Nicotine, common in e-cigarettes, may impair healing by reducing blood flow and oxygen to gum tissues, the review authors wrote.
Comparative studies show e-cigarettes, like conventional cigarettes, reduce osteoblast activity necessary for bone growth around implants. Surface modifications that increase implant roughness and hydrophilicity can promote bone formation, though exposure to e-cigarettes reduces these benefits and raises proinflammatory gene expression, harming implant integration, they wrote.
Additionally, research has linked e-cigarette use to higher levels of inflammatory markers, associated with increased bone loss around implants. While some studies have shown higher plaque and pocket depths in e-cigarette users, evidence about other implant-related measures remains mixed due to study variability.
Further research is needed to clarify the differences in implant outcomes between e-cigarette users and nonsmokers, the authors added.
"Understanding the multifaceted impact of e-cigarettes on oral health and dental implants is imperative for clinicians to make informed decisions and tailor treatment strategies accordingly," Pianjitlertkajorn and co-author Napatsorn Imerb concluded.
