What Researchers Did
Researchers placed 42 dental implants into the irradiated jaws of 10 head and neck cancer patients (3 maxilla, 7 mandible) and fabricated either overdentures or fixed prostheses.
What They Found
Of the 10 implants placed in the maxilla, 6 were lost, resulting in a 40% survival rate. In contrast, all 32 implants placed in the mandible achieved a 100% survival rate over a mean duration of 33 months.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada or by Canadian researchers.
Study Limitations
A significant limitation of this study is its small sample size of only 10 patients, making the findings preliminary and requiring further investigation.