The Current Knowledge of Genetic Susceptibility Influencing Dental Implant Outcomes

Abstract

Oral diseases are still a major global health burden, in spite of big efforts in research and dental services, where disbursement on treatment may exceed that for other diseases, including major illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and dementia (Williams, 2011). In this context, tooth loss is a topic of public health concern, since it is the final result of the first and second most prevalent diseases in dentistry: caries and periodontitis (Pihlstrom et al., 2005; Pitts et al., 2011). Although the prevalence of edentulism has decreased over the last decades, there will be a relevant proportion of edentulous individuals worldwide (Polzer et al., 2010a). Tooth loss is a problem complex to be solved all over the world which affects children, adults and elderly. Complete edentulism prior 65 years old was associated with all-cause mortality, an evidence supporting the notion that poor oral health is an important public health issue across the lifespan (Brown, 2009). Although edentulism is not a life threatening condition, tooth loss impairs several orofacial structures, such as bony tissues, nerves, receptors and muscles. Consequently, most orofacial functions are diminished in edentate subjects (Polzer et al., 2010a). Regarding partially edentulous people, tooth loss is found in 5-20% of most adult populations all over the world (Petersen et al., 2005). Quality life levels were reported to be direct related to the number of remaining teeth (Polzer et al., 2010a). Thus, edentulism was found to be a global problem, with estimates for an increasing demand for oral rehabilitation in the future (Felton, 2009). In this context, oral health restoration should aim to restore function and esthetics. Dentistry has the challenge of improving the access and quality of oral rehabilitation (Tilman, 1985), although oral health care is still being conducted without a solid research evidence base (Pang et al., 2011).