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Updated: Jan 18, 2026
Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
Published on: May 22, 2013
Investigation of the Telomere Length in PERI-Implant Oral Mucosa Cells
Fernando Costa Giffoni1, Thaís Ellen Chaves Gomes2, Priscila Nazaré de Souza1
1Faculty of Medical Sciences of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Background:
The biological effects of dental implants on peri-implant tissues have been widely investigated. Recent reports of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases adjacent to dental implants have raised concerns regarding the potential impact of implant materials on cellular aging and oncogenic transformation. Telomeres, which protect chromosome ends, undergo progressive shortening and play a critical role in cellular senescence and tumorigenesis. However, the impact of dental implants on telomere length in peri-implant mucosa remains unclear.
Objective:
This study aimed to compare telomere length in mucosa adjacent to dental implants with that of gingival tissue associated with healthy teeth.
Methods:
A paired cross-sectional study was conducted with 16 patients who had dental implants for at least 1 year. Swabs were collected from the peri-implant mucosa and healthy gingival mucosa of the same patient. Telomere length was assessed using quantitative PCR, with the relative telomere-to-single-copy-gene ratio (T/C) calculated using the 2-∆∆Cq method.
Results:
Telomere length in the peri-implant mucosa was not significantly different from that in the healthy gingival mucosa (p = 0.117).
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that dental implants do not alter telomere length in adjacent mucosal cells.
