Implant rehabilitation in patients with oral lichen planus: an overview

Implant rehabilitation in oral lichen planus (OLP) is a major challenge for clinicians and patients. There is limited scientific evidence, primarily case reports and small case series. We conducted a literature review of data on the effectiveness and safety of implant rehabilitation in OLP patients. We searched MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases for articles on implant placement in OLP patients (searches from 1980 to 2011). Eight studies (41 OLP patients rehabilitated with 135 implants) met the inclusion criteria. Survival rate of implants was 94.8% over a mean follow-up of 56.5 months. There is very limited evidence on the safety and benefits of implant placement in OLP patients. Implant loss appears not to be directly related to OLP, but linked to factors such as parafunctions, poor bone quality and marginal mandibular resection. The benefits and harms of using implants in people with OLP require thorough evaluation in properly designed randomised, controlled studies. OLP is not an absolute contraindication for implant insertion and there is no increased risk of failure. Implants should be positioned only if mucosal signs and symptoms are in the remission phase. A careful oral hygiene and frequent follow-up are the main recommendations in OLP patients rehabilitated with implants.