ABSTRACT
Dental implants are a standard of care in contemporary dental practice and are widely employed for the restoration of missing teeth. The long-term utility of an implant is largely dependent on the successful implant osseointegration and maintenance of the same over time. Bone metabolism and inflammatory mechanism are interrelated phenomena and are usually collectively termed osteoimmunology, which may affect the predictability and success of implant osseointegration. Many biochemical mediators of inflammation, especially Interleukin (IL)1, IL-6, and Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)alpha, have been documented to increase the activity of bone-resorbing cells through the Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor Kappa-B (RANK) and Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Ligand (RANKL)systems. Some of the earlier studies with very limited data suggest that SARS-CoV2 infection may also directly affect bone resorption. Thus, it is imperative to understand the pathophysiology of osseointegration in COVID-19 patients, to enhance successful implant osseointegration and prevent peri-implant bone loss in these patients. Here, we present a summary of the connection between inflammatory pathways and bone metabolism on a molecular basis which may assume a significant bearing in situations of exaggerated host immune response as seen in COVID-19 infection.Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.