Purpose: Dental implants without proper maintenance may lead to serious consequences, such as peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis in patients undergoing antitumour chemotherapy can negatively affect the prognosis of treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the onset of peri-implantitis and the effects of oral hygiene management in patients with dental implants undergoing antitumour chemotherapy.
Materials and methods: Twenty-three patients (n = 23) with dental implants who received oral supportive care during malignancy chemotherapy were included. They were categorised into two groups based on the presence of peri-implantitis and were analysed for oral hygiene conditions, maintenance after implant insertion, and adverse effects such as febrile neutropenia. Statistical analysis was performed using the Fisher's exact test and the Mann-Whitney U-test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The average number of implants was higher in patients with peri-implantitis; these implants generally did not receive appropriate maintenance. There were statistically significantly fewer peri-implantitis sites in patients receiving continuous implant maintenance therapy than those who did not (p < 0.05). The severity of febrile neutropenia was reduced by dental interventions.
Conclusion: Dental intervention before malignancy chemotherapy effectively prevented peri-implantitis and contributed to alleviating febrile neutropenia, even when it was initiated amidst chemotherapy. Dental intervention before chemotherapy seems essential in malignancy patients with dental implants.
Keywords: cancer; chemotherapy; febrile neutropenia; oral supportive care; peri-implantitis.