Electronic Cigarettes and Peri-Implantitis: An Umbrella Review

Area of Science:

• Oral Health
• Periodontology
• Implant Dentistry

Background:

• Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are marketed as a safer alternative to traditional tobacco products.
• The long-term effects of e-cigarettes on periodontal health and peri-implantitis remain largely unknown.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for patient counseling and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of e-cigarettes on peri-implantitis.
• To compare the effects of e-cigarettes with traditional cigarettes and non-smokers.
• To assess the overall evidence regarding e-cigarette use and periodontal/peri-implant health.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis of existing studies.
• Searches conducted in major scientific databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar) until December 30, 2022.
• Inclusion of five high-quality systematic/meta-analysis studies.

Main Results:

• Compared to traditional smoking, e-cigarettes showed similar or reduced clinical inflammatory symptoms of periodontitis and peri-implantitis.
• Key indicators like bleeding on probing, probing depth, and bone loss were not significantly worsened by e-cigarettes.
• Despite potentially milder inflammatory effects, nicotine in e-cigarettes can still negatively impact periodontal and implant health.

Conclusions:

• E-cigarette use may not exacerbate periodontal and peri-implantitis symptoms more than traditional smoking.
• However, e-cigarettes are associated with potential oral health risks and can compromise implant treatment success.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the long-term consequences of e-cigarette use on oral health and implantology.