What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed studies on whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy helps dental implants succeed in patients who had radiation treatment for head and neck cancer.
What They Found
This Cochrane systematic review identified only one randomized controlled trial, providing very low quality evidence, comparing hyperbaric oxygen therapy with a control group in irradiated patients getting dental implants. Thirteen patients received hyperbaric oxygen therapy while another group of patients did not. Because only one small trial was found and the evidence quality was very low, the review authors could not determine whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves implant success, patient satisfaction, or cost effectiveness compared to not using it.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients who have had radiation therapy and are considering dental implants, this review shows the evidence on hyperbaric oxygen therapy is currently too limited and too low quality to support firm conclusions either way. Patients in this situation should discuss the very low certainty of this evidence with their care team before deciding on treatment.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The main limitation of this review is that only one small randomized controlled trial was identified, and it provided very low quality evidence, so the findings cannot be considered reliable or generalized.