Role of Vitamin D Supplementation in Dental Implant Survival: A Retrospective Study

Objectives: Dental implant survival and success depends on many factors both biological and technical. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of vitamin D intake in the patients who received dental implants. The retrospective study aims at correlating self-reported vitamin D intake to implant loss.
Methods: The study was approved by the University at Buffalo IRB office. All members of the research team were CITI certified. The charts of patients who received dental implants were reviewed and data on implant failure considered as loss of the implant, vitamin D deficiency, oral vitamin D supplementation reported. Confounding factors like diabetes and smoking assessed for matching. Charts of patients that had received implants between the years 2008 and 2016 were assessed. The following parameters were considered for data collection: Age, gender, smoking status, diabetes status, antidepressant intake, vitamin D intake, location of implant and implant placement in grafted or non-grafted area. Out of the 208 charts reviewed, 63 patients self-reported the intake of Vitamin D supplementation.
Results: To date, this study reviewed 208 charts. The total number of dental implants placed in these patients is 362. Out of 362, 15 implants failed. Sixtythree (30%) patients had intake supplemented with Vitamin D and 5(1.3%) failure reported. The number of failures in patients who are not taking Vitamin D supplementation is 10(2.7%).

Conclusions: The obtained information from this pilot study may supports the fact that Vitamin D has an impact on survival of dental implants. Lower number of failures were reported amongst the patients who are supplemented with Vitamin D at the time of implant placement. The data suggest that Vitamin D intake may minimize dental implant loss.