Dental Implant Treatment in Patients Suffering from Oral Lichen Planus: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the complications and survival rates of dental implants placed in patients suffering from oral lichen planus (OLP) and to present recommendations for implant treatment in this group of patients through a narrative review of the published studies. Methods: A search of the literature was conducted using four databases: PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus with a stop date of May 2022. Results: Eighteen studies were evaluated. The results showed that dental implant survival rates in patients with OLP were similar to those reported in the general population. Moreover, the existing literature seemed to imply that OLP is not a suspected risk factor for peri-implant diseases. However, patients suffering from erosive forms of OLP or desquamative gingivitis and poor oral hygiene were more susceptible to developing peri-implant diseases; in addition, oral squamous cell carcinoma was observed in a few cases of OLP. Conclusion: With the limitations of this narrative review, dental implants may be regarded as a safe and feasible therapeutic approach to the treatment of patients with well-controlled OLP. These patients should be monitored carefully during follow-up care. Well-designed prospective trials are required to validate the present findings.