Background: Patients with osteoporosis who receive tooth extractions are typically on either oral bisphosphonate or parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy. Currently, the consequence of these therapies on hard- and soft-tissue healing in the oral cavity is not clearly defined. The aim of this study is to determine the differences in the therapeutic effect on tooth-extraction wound healing between bisphosphonate and PTH therapies.
Methods: Maxillary second molars were extracted in Sprague Dawley rats (n = 30), and either bisphosphonate (zoledronate [Zol]), PTH, or saline (vehicle control [VC]) was administered for 10 days (n = 10 per group). Hard-tissue healing was evaluated by microcomputed tomography and histomorphometric analyses. Collagen, blood vessels, inflammatory cell infiltration, and cathepsin K expression were assessed in soft tissue using immunohistochemistry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immunoblotting.
Results: Both therapies significantly increased bone fill and suppressed vertical bone loss. However, considerably more devital bone was observed in the sockets of rats on Zol versus VC. Although Zol increased the numbers of blood vessels, the total blood vessel area in soft tissue was significantly smaller than in VC. PTH therapy increased osteoblastic bone formation and suppressed osteoclasts. PTH therapy promoted soft-tissue maturation by suppressing inflammation and stimulating collagen deposition.
Conclusion: Zoledronate therapy deters whereas PTH therapy promotes hard- and soft-tissue healing in the oral cavity, and both therapies prevent vertical bone loss.