Systemic Statin Use and Pulp Chamber Calcification: A Pilot Retrospective Case-Control Study Using Cone-Beam Computed...

Area of Science:

• Dental Radiology
• Pharmacology
• Oral Medicine

Background:

• Systemic statin medications are widely prescribed for cardiovascular health.
• Potential side effects of systemic statins on dental tissues remain incompletely understood.
• Dental pulp calcification is a common finding that can impact treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between systemic statin use and the incidence of dental pulp calcification.
• To compare pulp chamber volumes in patients taking oral statins versus a control group using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case-control study involving 54 patients (27 statin users, 27 controls).
• CBCT images were analyzed using Mimics Innovation Suite software to measure dental crown and pulp chamber volumes.
• Statistical analysis included chi-square, Shapiro-Wilk, and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in pulp chamber volume was observed between the statin user group and the control group (p = 0.505).
• The duration of statin use did not correlate with a significant reduction in pulp chamber volume (p = 0.141).

Conclusions:

• Systemic statin use does not appear to cause dental pulp calcification.
• Oral statin administration is likely not detrimental to dental practice.
• Larger-scale studies are recommended to further validate these findings.