ALVEOLAR HEALING OF TOOTH EXTRACTION UNDER ORAL ANTIRESORPTIVE THERAPY

Abstract

<h3>Objectives</h3> This study aimed to evaluate alveolar healing after tooth extraction in Wistar rats treated with different oral antiresorptive drugs. <h3>Study Design</h3> The animals were randomly distributed into 4 groups: (1) sodium alendronate, (2) raloxifene, (3) strontium ranelate, and (4) control groups. All animals were submitted to tooth extraction with 60 days of treatment and euthanized with 90 days. Alveolar healing of tooth extractions was evaluated by histologic analysis with hematoxylin-eosin staining, immunostaining (RANKL and OPG), and scanning electron microscopy. <h3>Results</h3> The proportion of vital bone in the control group was greater than that in the alendronate group but did not significantly differ from the raloxifene and strontium ranelate groups. The raloxifene group did not exhibit nonvital bone, whereas the alendronate and strontium ranelate groups did. Sodium alendronate had low RANKL and OPG, and strontium ranelate had low OPG. The bone surface of raloxifene, strontium ranelate, and control groups showed few microcracks and a large amount of bone cells and resorption cavities, whereas the alendronate group showed microcracks over the entire area analyzed and lack of bone cells and resorption cavities. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Raloxifene therapy does not impair alveolar bone healing, whereas sodium alendronate is associated with reduced bone turnover and bone necrosis.