Clinical outcomes of dental implants in head and neck cancer patients: An overview

Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of dental implants (DIs) in patients with head and neck can-cer (HNC) treated with radiotherapy (RT), isolated chemotherapy, or bone modifying agents (BMAs). Study Design. This study was registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42018102772); conducted via the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist; and based on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and gray literature searches. The selection of studies was performed in 2 phases by 2 independent reviewers. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed by the Measurement Tool to Assess the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2. Results. Twenty systematic reviews were included in the qualitative analysis. The majority scored as having high RoB (n = 11). Pri-mary DIs placement in the mandible of patients with HNC subjected to RT doses <50 Gy was associated with better survival rates. Conclusions. The placements of DIs could be considered safe in patients with HNC in sites of alveolar bone that received RT (<5000 Gy); however, no conclusions could be made in patients with cancer managed by chemotherapy or BMAs. Due to the heterogeneity of studies included, the recommendation for DIs placement in patients with cancer should be carefully considered. Future better controlled randomized clinical trials are required to provide enhanced clinical guidelines for best patient care. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2023;136:42-53)