Surrogate markers of health after titanium dental implant placement.

PURPOSE We investigated the effects of dental implants on patient health, as measured by commonly used surrogates of human homeostasis, including hepatic metabolic and synthetic ability, renal regulatory functions, bone turnover, clotting, infection, and inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients enrolled had 1 to 3 mandibular uncoated, endosseous titanium dental implants placed and restored. Patients were evaluated serially over 6 months. Blood and urine tests were collected immediately before and 6 months after implant placement. Paired student t tests were used to compare quantified laboratory values. Nonquantified values were evaluated using the McNamara chi square analysis to assess patterns of change. RESULTS Thirty-one patients met the inclusion criteria. A total of 53 dental implants were placed. Three values were found to be significantly different between the 2 time periods: total protein (P < .008), lactate dehydrogenase (P < .002), and hematocrit (P < .017). Total protein and lactate dehydrogenase were within the laboratory range of normal and judged to be clinically nonsignificant. On reevaluation, the significant change in hematocrit was entirely accounted for by a single outlier. This was attributed to laboratory error. CONCLUSION No clinically significant effects on surrogate markers of health were found 6 months after placement of titanium dental implants. This series is the only one in the dental, craniomaxillofacial, and orthopedic literature showing a lack of adverse human health effects after dental implant placement, as measured by accepted surrogate measures of human homeostasis.