ABSTRACT
Objectives : It is well known that cigarette smoking is harzardous to the osseointegration of dental implant, due to the impaired wound healing accompanied by reduced alveolar bone density. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of cigarette smoke on the implant osseointegration by the time factor consideration. Materials and methods : Twenty-four male Spraque-Dawley rats (8 weeks, weighting 200 to 250g) were used in this study. In the experimental group, 13 rats were exposed to cigarette smoke, 8 minutes per day during 6 weeks, and 12 rats in the control group were not exposed at any time. RBM (Resorbed blasting media) surfaced implant (diameter 3.3mm, length 5.0mm, AVANA Co., Korea) was placed in the right femur of each rat. Each implant with surrounding bone was prepared with microtome (cutting band 0.2mm(R), EXAKT Co., Germany) after 1 day, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks and stained with toluidine blue (1%). Another clinical investigation of each implant was also done at each evaluation time. Results : Clinical investigation around implant fixture showed that there were no significant differences between the control and experimental group. Microscopic observation around implant fixture showed that there were significant differences between the control and experimental group at the initial stage after implant fixture installation. Experimental group showed a decreased bone to implant contact within 4 weeks compared to control group, but showed similar characteristics after 4 weeks. Conclusion : Smoking inhalation effect on the dental implant showed the impaired wound healing by vasoconstriction and decreased intramedullary blood flow at initial stage of osseointegration. This experimental results can be clinically useful to the implant surgery of smoking patients.