Dental Implant Treatment in Patients with Oral Lichen Planus: A Literature Review

Abstract

Although the spectrum of indications for implant placement has widened, a consensus on the benefits and disadvantages of dental implant treatment in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the survival rate of implants placed in patients with OLP through a literature review. Literature published up to 2022 was searched from the database of PubMed/Medline, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus, and a total of thirteen studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected. Seven studies were case reports, and the remaining six were retrospective and prospective studies with three case-control reports. Most of the reports showed that the implant survival rate and complications, including peri-implant mucositis and periimplantitis, in patients with OLP appeared similar to those found in healthy control patients. However, uncontrolled or active OLP was associated with implant failure. Few cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were reported in patients with OLP. Within the limitations of this review, dental implants could be considered for patients with OLP under adequate control of mucosal conditions.