# Investigation of the Telomere Length in PERI‐Implant Oral Mucosa Cells

## TL;DR

This study found that dental implants do not affect telomere length in nearby oral mucosa cells, suggesting no link to accelerated aging or cancer risk.

## Contribution

The study is the first to investigate telomere length in peri-implant mucosa compared to healthy gingival tissue.

## Key findings

- Telomere length in peri-implant mucosa was not significantly different from healthy gingival mucosa.
- Dental implants do not appear to influence telomere shortening in adjacent tissues.

## Abstract

The biological effects of dental implants on peri‐implant tissues have been widely investigated. Recent reports of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases adjacent to dental implants have raised concerns regarding the potential impact of implant materials on cellular aging and oncogenic transformation. Telomeres, which protect chromosome ends, undergo progressive shortening and play a critical role in cellular senescence and tumorigenesis. However, the impact of dental implants on telomere length in peri‐implant mucosa remains unclear.

This study aimed to compare telomere length in mucosa adjacent to dental implants with that of gingival tissue associated with healthy teeth.

A paired cross‐sectional study was conducted with 16 patients who had dental implants for at least 1 year. Swabs were collected from the peri‐implant mucosa and healthy gingival mucosa of the same patient. Telomere length was assessed using quantitative PCR, with the relative telomere‐to‐single‐copy‐gene ratio (T/C) calculated using the 2−∆∆Cq method.

Telomere length in the peri‐implant mucosa was not significantly different from that in the healthy gingival mucosa (p = 0.117).

These findings suggest that dental implants do not alter telomere length in adjacent mucosal cells.