Investigation of dental implant stability in atrophic mandible in individuals aged 50 and over with hypertension and diabetes using resonance frequency analysis

Advancements in medical and technological fields have significantly increased life expectancy worldwide. Particularly in developed countries the rise in life expectancy has led to a marked increase in the proportion of elderly populations. However longer lifespans have also contributed to a higher prevalence of chronic systemic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and osteoporosis. In our study, the effects of systemic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes and the drugs used in the treatment of these diseases on dental implant stability and osseointegration were evaluated. The study included a total of 120 edentulous mandible patients aged 50 years and older, who applied to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Dicle University for dental implant placement and had no systemic diseases other than hypertension and diabetes. The participants were divided into four groups: hypertension (HT), diabetes (DM), combined hypertension and diabetes (HT&DM), and healthy individuals. Each group consisted of 30 patients. Two implants were placed in the anterior mandible region of each patient and implant stability indices (ISQ) were measured using resonance frequency analysis (RFA) at the time of placement and after 12 weeks. The mean baseline ISQ values were found to be 76.15 in the hypertension group, 75.74 in the diabetes group, 75.34 in the combined HT&DM group and 77.26 in the control group. At 12 weeks the ISQ values increased to 76.92, 76.42, 76.13, and 78.16, respectively. The results demonstrated a statistically significant increase in ISQ values in all groups at 12 weeks compared to baseline (p <0.001). However the baseline ISQ values were highest in the control group and lowest in the combined HT&DM group. The 12-week measurements revealed that antihypertensive medications and glycemic control contributed positively to the osseointegration process. This study provided important information to understand the effects of hypertension and diabetes, as well as the medications used to treat these diseases, on dental implant stability and showed that medical control can improve implant success. Keywords: Dental implant, hypertension, diabetes