JADA Study Finds No Association Between Elevated Blood Sugar And Implant Failure.

Medscape (12/11, Harrison) reports that according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association “dentists can safely place dental implants in patients with uncontrolled diabetes,” which “contradicts common recommendations.” Said the study’s author Thomas W. Oates Jr., DMD, PhD, “We failed to identify any association between elevated blood sugar and implant failure or implant complications.” Medscape points out that although previous studies have found implants to be less stable in patients with uncontrolled diabetes, those studies “were of short duration.” In this study, “examiners blinded to the diabetes status of the patients assessed the implants during a 4-month healing period after placement, and then again at 3, 6, and 12 months after implant restoration,” and found that “implant survival rates a year after restoration were not statistically different” for those without diabetes, with “well-controlled” diabetes, or for those with “poorly-controlled” diabetes.