Oral Implants and Clindamycin Study

Oral implants are considered a predictable and safe treatment modality for the rehabilitation of missing teeth. However, there are reports on oral implant failure and one of the main reasons for this is postoperative infections. The bacterial contamination of the implant bed during surgery is a significant cause of early implant failure, as well as being associated with late implant failure.

Study Overview

Pre-operative clindamycin administration during dental implant surgery in healthy adults may not reduce implant failure or post-surgical complications, suggests a prospective randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

The findings of the clinical trial have been published in Evidence-Based Dentistry. Clindamycin is a lincosamide type of antibiotic that's used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, including dental infection. It is usually given through the oral route.

Clinical Trial Details

Sixty-two healthy adults who underwent single dental implant placement without previous infection of the surgical bed or the need for bone grafting were included in this clinical trial. They were randomly divided into two groups (test and control). The test group was given a single dose of oral clindamycin (600 mg) one hour before surgery and the control group with a placebo. The surgical procedures were carried out by one oral surgeon and all the patients were observed post-operatively on days 1, 7, 14, 28, and 56 by a single observer for clinical, radiological, and surgical variables, adverse events, and complications. Statistical analysis was performed with STATA 15 software and the number required to treat or harm (NNT/NNH) was also evaluated.

Results

• In the test group, the authors observed two implant failures and one patient experienced gastrointestinal disturbances and diarrhoea.
• They also observed post-operative infections in three patients (two in the control group and one in the test group which eventually failed).

The authors concluded that pre-operative clindamycin administration during dental implant surgery in healthy adults may not reduce implant failure or post-surgical complications.

Reference

Subramani, K. Does pre-operative clindamycin administration during dental implant surgery reduce implant failure or post-surgical complications?. Evid Based Dent 23, 140–141 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41432-022-0838-6