Effects of alcohol consumption on osseointegration of titanium implants in rabbits

Alcohol consumption affects bone metabolism by impairing osteoblast proliferation and by increasing osteoclastic activity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate bone formation in alcohol-fed rabbits following the insertion of dental titanium implants. Animals were fed with 20% ethanol sugarcane brandy pre- and postoperatively (group 1), preoperatively only (group 2), and with water as control (group 3). During the postoperative period, rabbits received doses of polyfluorochrome labels (i.e., alizarin, calcein, and tetracycline). Rabbits were killed 8 weeks after the implant insertion. The polyfluorochrome-labeled bone areas in rabbits with alcohol consumption in pre- and postoperative (group 1) and preoperatively only (group 2) were significantly less (P <.05) than in the control group (group 3). The percentage of direct bone-to-implant contact was significantly less in pre- and postoperative (49.5%) and preoperative-only (49.2%) groups than in the control group (64.7%) (P <.05). Alcoholic rabbits demonstrated significantly less bone density and direct bone-to-implant contact.