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Study: 2 Common Medications Affect Success of Dental Implants

Recent research from McGill University has determined there are two common medications which can affect the viability and success of dental implants.

According to the study, in order to raise the odds that dental implants will attach properly, there are clear benefits to taking certain common medications and avoiding others.

Beta Blockers Help Bones Heal

"The success of procedures like dental implants depends mainly on how the existing bone accepts the implants to create a connection between the living bone and the surface of the implant," says Prof. Faleh Tamimi, who teaches in the McGill Faculty of Dentistry, and is the senior author on several papers published on the subject recently. "Because some medications affect bone metabolism and the way that bone cells heal and multiply or die, they can have an important effect on the success of implants."

"We carried out this study because we knew that beta blockers have been reported to increase bone formation," says Prof. Tamimi from McGill's Faculty of Dentistry. "So we thought it was possible that they would also decrease the risk of failure of dental implants. However we didn't expect that there would be such a clear difference in the failure rates for implants between users and non-users of beta blockers."

Heartburn Meds Slow Down Healing

On the other hand, heartburn medications can have a significant effect on bone density and development, due to the reduction of calcium. This can negatively affect how well a patient will heal following dental implant surgery and placement. "But we didn’t expect to find that the negative effects of these type of drugs would be as great as they are" Ms. Tamimi said.

Some 500,000 North Americans get dental implants each year. If you are one of them, and are preparing to have an implant, it might be a good idea to start taking beta blockers, medication that controls high blood pressure, for a while – and to stop taking heartburn pills.

Dr. Kaushal Dhawan and staff at The Colorado Center for Implant and Prosthetic Dentistry are available to help you determine effective solutions to all of your dental problems. If you would like more information from your Littleton area Prosthodontist, please call to make an appointment today.

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