Abstract
Background: The present study was conducted to investigate the amount of crestal bone resorption around dental implants in diabetic patients compared to non-diabetic patients referred to Shiraz Dental School. Methods: In the present study, 30 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and 30 non-diabetic patients requiring implant surgery, who were referred to Shiraz Dental School between the beginning of 2018 and the end of 2019, were included. Crestal bone loss was assessed at three time points—on the day of surgery, at six months, and at one year postoperatively—using standard periapical radiography (PA), and the results were compared between the diabetic and non-diabetic groups. An independent t-test was used to compare crestal bone resorption between the case and control groups. Additionally, changes in bone resorption across the three time points were analyzed using a repeated measures statistical test. Results: The mean HbA1c level was significantly higher in the T2DM group (6.19) compared to the non-diabetic group (4.08) (P < 0.001). No significant difference in mean crestal bone loss was observed between groups immediately after surgery (P = 0.063). However, at both six and twelve months postoperatively, crestal bone loss was significantly greater in diabetic patients (P < 0.001 for both time points). A significant increase in crestal bone resorption was noted over time in both groups (P < 0.001), with intergroup differences also reaching statistical significance (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Crestal bone resorption was significantly greater in diabetic patients than in non-diabetic counterparts at both 6 and 12 months after implant surgery.