Dental implants in patients with oral mucosal diseases - a systematic review

To reveal dental implants survival rates in patients with oral mucosal diseases: oral lichen planus (OLP), Sjogren's syndrome (SjS), epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and systemic sclerosis (SSc). A systematic literature search using PubMed/Medline and Embase databases, utilising MeSH and search term combinations identified publications on clinical use implant-prosthetic rehabilitation in patients with OLP, SjS, EB, SSc reporting on study design, number, gender and age of patients, follow-up period exceeding 12 months, implant survival rate, published in English between 1980 and May 2015. After a mean observation period (mOP) of 539 months (standard deviation [SD] +/- 183), 191 implants in 57 patients with OLP showed a survival rate (SR) of 953% (SD +/- 212). For 17 patients with SjS (121 implants, mOP 486 +/- 287 months), 28 patients with EB (165 implants, mOP 383 +/- 169 months) and five patients with SSc (38 implants, mOP 383 +/- 169 months), the respective SR was 917 +/- 597% (SjS), 985 +/- 27% (EB) and 974 +/- 48% (SSc). Heterogeneity of data structure and quality of reporting outcomes did not allow for further comparative data analysis. For implant-prosthetic rehabilitation of patients suffering from OLP, SjS, EB and SSc, no evidence-based treatment guidelines are presently available. However, no strict contraindication for the placement of implants seems to be justified in patients with OLP, SjS, EB nor SSc. Implant survival rates are comparable to those of patients without oral mucosal diseases. Treatment guidelines as for dental implantation in patients with healthy oral mucosa should be followed.