Stabilized OLP is Not a Significant Risk for Peri-implant Diseases

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of implant failure in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP), investigate the possible association between OLP and peri-implant diseases, and assess the risk of oral cancer in OLP patients who undergo dental implant therapy.
Methods: A systematic search was conducted in June 2023 across four databases (Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus), resulting in 19 eligible publications, two of which were included in a meta-analysis.
Results: The global incidence of implant failure was 4.58% (7 out of 153 patients) at the patient level and 3.67% (12 out of 327 implants) at the implant level. Six patients (3.92%) from five out of nineteen studies were diagnosed with oral cancer after implant placement. The prevalence of peri-implantitis, peri-implant mucositis, and bleeding on probing at the implant level were 14.00%, 20.00%, and 40.00%, respectively. Two studies included in the meta-analysis, one of which was prospective, and the other was a cross-sectional study, consisting of 34 OLP patients and 34 healthy controls. A higher risk of PI in OLP patients in comparison to the healthy controls (OR=1.62, p=0.23), however, there was no significant difference. Similarly, there was also no significant difference in the number of implants suffering from PIM (OR=0.84, p=0.61) or BOP (OR=0.77, p=0.40) between the OLP patients and healthy controls. Besides, the included studies classified as having a low risk of bias.
Conclusions: Stabilized OLP is not a significant risk factor for peri-implant diseases, and implants or prostheses should not be placed during the acute period of the disease. Histopathological investigation to differentiate OLP and oral lichenoid dysplasia is crucial. Further large-scale prospective studies are needed to clarify the relationship between OLP and implant failure and to develop appropriate treatment strategies for OLP patients undergoing dental implant therapy.