Depression Drugs May Cause Dental Implant Failure

Depression, a global disease, is identified by clear changes in thought and affect. A battle with depression can leave

in its wake a litany of casualties, both social and personal, and debilitating symptoms. Low levels of serotonin in

the brain, or when serotonin is unable to be utilized by the brain, can provoke depression. Even with the right

course of treatment, someone suffering from depression may be at risk for other, unobvious difficulties. A study

conducted on patients treated with dental implants from January 2007 to January 2013, suggests that patients

taking Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), the most widely used drugs for the treatment of depression,

have a greater chance of having those implants fail.

The study theorizes that since SSRIs have been reported to reduce bone formation and increase the risk of bone

fracture, osseointegration fails to take place because the osseointegration process is influenced by bone

metabolism. Osseointegration occurs when bone cells

fasten themselves directly to the surface of the titanium

implant, in essence locking the implant into the jaw

bone. The study examined 916 dental implants in 490

patients. Fifty-one patients were using SSRIs and made

up 94 of the dental implants in the study. Follow up was

conducted between three months to 5 1/2 yrs. and saw

10 dental implants fail and 84 succeed within the patient

group taking SSRIs. Conversely, 38 dental implants failed

and 784 succeeded in the patient group not taking SSRIs.

This means that SSRI users saw a 10.6 % rate of dental

implant failure compared to their non-SSRI user counterparts' 4.6 % rate of failure.

While the study took into account the increased risk of dental implant failure related to smoking habits and smaller

implant diameters, the findings indicate that treatment with SSRIs is linked to an increased failure risk of

osseointegrated implants, and therefore suggests that those suffering from depression currently taking SSRIs that

require dental implants, carefully plan surgical treatment with their dental professional.

For more information about dental implants, please visit the American Association for Dental Research.

To read more about depression and SSRIs, please visit the National Institute of Mental Health.

Figure 1: The list of current SSRIs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat depression

BRAND NAME GENERIC NAME

Celexa Citalopram

Lexapro Escitalopram

Luvox Fluvoxamine

Paxil Paroxetine

Prozac Fluoxetine

Zoloft Sertraline

Viibryd Vilazodone