Dental Implants For Patients With Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), a rare disease caused by gene mutations, is accompanied with bone fragility, spontaneous fractures, and dental abnormalities and/or hypodontia. Among all phenotypes, patients with Type III/ IV variants are associated with the most severe symptoms. Implant treatment is often necessary to improve masticatory function. This study aimed to demonstrate the clinical outcomes of implant-supported restorations for these two OI patient types. Five patients, aged 26-44, suffered from tooth loss due to dentinogenesis imperfecta, caries and periodontitis. They had history of spontaneous fractures and previously undergone dental restorations that failed. Examination revealed oral complications such as alveolar malformation, low bone density, and dental diseases. Three of them had a history of bisphosphonate use. After comprehensive and multidisciplinary risk assessment, a personalized approach for each patient was adopted, with a total of 26 dental implants (n=2-15 each, AstraTech, Dentsply-Sirona). Clinical outcomes were monitored (T=6-30 months) with peri-implant bone stability demonstrated in all cases. OI affects multiple body systems, especially bones and teeth. Reports of implant treatment of OI patients were scarce, and the failure rate was high. In this study, functional stress distribution was optimized by patient-specific implant selection (size/number), prosthodontically-guided positioning, crown design and proper oral health maintenance, to ensure peri-implant bone stability. With multidisciplinary treatment model and standardized protocol, dental implants can achieve long-term stable reconstruction of masticatory function in patients with Type III/IV OI.