Prescription medications, including antidepressants, may be associated with peri-implant complications and more, according to a large clinical study recently published in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.
However, antibiotics and some mouth rinses were linked to a reduction in complications, the authors wrote.
“Self-reported and prescribed medications were associated with adverse events in implant therapy,” wrote the authors, led by Dr. Leonardo Mohamad Nassani, MBA, assistant dean for digital dentistry and advanced technology at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry in Columbus, OH (J Prosthet Dent, June 8, 2026).
Though restorations supported by implants are well-documented therapeutic options, complications can occur before or after healing, sometimes leading to additional treatment or implant removal, according to the study.
To identify medication-associated risk factors for complications and dental implant failures, a single-center, retrospective study was conducted using electronic health record data from adults who received at least one dental implant at a single academic center between 2016 and 2021, the authors wrote.
The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze implant failure and soft-tissue complications, and Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for clustering and prespecified covariates. Furthermore, hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.
For this clinical research, data from 732 patients with 1,282 implants were analyzed, according to the study.
Overall, the implant failure rate was 4%.
Increased mechanical and soft-tissue complications, including abutment screw loosening and gingival mucositis, were linked to antidepressant and opioid use. Meanwhile, greater implant failure and loss of osseointegration were correlated with oral bisphosphonate use, the authors wrote.
Additionally, self-reported antibiotic use was linked to a reduction in implant failure and osseointegration-related problems. Furthermore, perioperative prescriptions of antibiotics and chlorhexidine gluconate were correlated with lower rates of soft-tissue complications, they wrote.
Nevertheless, the study was limited by several factors, including self-reported comorbidities, incomplete chart data, and potential coding errors, the authors wrote.
“Nevertheless, the findings provide valuable real-world data on patient characteristics, practice patterns, and the implant complications associated with specific medications,” Nassani and colleagues wrote.
