Osseoinductive elements for promoting osseointegration around immediate implants: a pilot study in the foxhound dog.

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Immediate implant placement after extraction is a common dental procedure.
• Optimizing osseointegration and peri-implant tissue health is crucial for long-term implant success.
• Melatonin is a hormone with known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may influence bone healing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the histological and histomorphometric effects of topical melatonin on peri-implant tissues around immediate implants.
• To compare melatonin's efficacy with a control group and a vitamin D group.

Main Methods:

• Mandibular premolar roots were extracted in six foxhound dogs.
• 36 immediate conical implants were placed and divided into three groups: control (titanium only), melatonin-treated, and vitamin D-treated.
• Melatonin (5%) or vitamin D (10%) solutions were applied to implants before placement.
• Histological and histomorphometric analyses (total BIC, NBF, ITB, CBL, PIM) were performed after 12 weeks.

Main Results:

• All implants achieved clinical stability and histological osseointegration.
• Melatonin-treated implants showed significantly higher total bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and inter-thread bone (ITB) formation compared to controls.
• Significantly less lingual crestal bone loss (CBL) and peri-implant mucosa (PIM) were observed in the melatonin group.
• No significant differences in new bone formation (NBF) or buccal aspects were found between melatonin and control groups.

Conclusions:

• Topical melatonin application positively influences bone formation and reduces bone/tissue loss around immediate implants.
• Melatonin shows promise as an adjunct therapy to improve outcomes in immediate implantology.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings in human clinical trials.