Statins and alveolar bone resorption: a narrative review of preclinical and clinical studies

Abstract

Context: Tooth extraction and periodontal disease are both common clinical situations associated with alveolar bone loss.

Objective: To analyze the reported results of in vivo studies investigating the effectiveness of statins to reduce alveolar bone resorption.

Study design: Systematic electronic search of the MEDLINE-PubMed database.

Results: A total of 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. This review showed that the use of statins reduced significantly alveolar bone resorption observed during periodontal disease and after tooth extraction. Oral administration was effective using high statin concentrations, although local administration using a biodegradable carrier was effective with lower concentrations. It was recently reported that statins were effective to reduce alveolar bone loss as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) in several clinical trials. Further studies are needed to confirm these promising results.