Radiographic Bone Density Around Immediately Placed Titanium Implant on the Extraction Socket of Diabetic and Insulin-Treated Rat Maxilla

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Although it is generally accepted that patients with controlled diabetes have similar rates of success for dental implants as healthy individuals, the use of dental implants in diabetic patients is controversial. In addition, the impact of diabetes on the healing of bone associated with immediately place dental implants is not completely understood. The purpose of this study was to measure bone response to implants radiologically in uncontrolled and insulin-controlled diabetic rats.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty rats were divided into control, insulin-treated and diabetic groups. The rats received streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) to induce diabetes; animals in the insulin-treated group also received three units of subcutaneous slow-release insulin. Two titanium implants (1.2 x 3 mm) were placed in the extraction socket of the maxillary first molars of the animals and were harvested at 3 days, 1, 2 and 4 weeks. The bone density was measured by digital radiography using gray-level analysis (histogram) in the regions of interest (ROI) at four points two mesial and two distal to both sides of the implant.RESULTS: The results showed that the osseointegration of the implants was impaired in the diabetic rats compared to the control and the insulin-treated rats. The radiographic evidence demonstrated marked destruction of bone around the implants in the diabetic group. Both the control and the insulin-treated groups had a significantly higher bone density on radiograph than the diabetic group from the 1 week of the experiment (P < 0.05 for each comparison).CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that the immediate placement of titanium implants in the maxilla of diabetic rat lead to delay in the maturation of bone adjacent to implants. It is expected that the reduced predictability of success of immediate implantation in patient with the uncontrolled diabetes.