Therapeutic use of hyperbaric oxygen for irradiated dental implant patients: a systematic review

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy for irradiated patients who require dental implants using data from randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs). The review was prepared according to Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. The Cochrane Oral Health Group Specialist Register and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched (Cochrane Library 2002, Issue 2), together with Medline from 1966 or Embase from 1974. Several journals were hand-searched, and fifty-five implant manufacturers were contacted in an attempt to identify ongoing or unpublished studies. The results were that no RCTs comparing HBO with no HBO for implant treatment in irradiated patients were identified. Our principal conclusions are that clinicians ought to be aware and make patients aware of the lack of reliable clinical evidence for or against the clinical effectiveness of HBO therapy in irradiated patients requiring dental implants. There is a need for RCTs to determine the effectiveness of HBO.