Cost and lack of insurance coverage are prohibitive to having dental implants after resections for benign mandibular neoplasms.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To assess how often patients receive dental implants after mandibular resection for benign neoplasms and to determine barriers to completion of functional reconstruction. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent resection for benign mandibular neoplasms between 2005 and 2014. Demographic variables included age, sex, and race. Outcome variables include rates of implant placement, implant restoration, and reasons for not having implants. Fisher's exact test and odds ratios were calculated. RESULTS: In all, 52 subjects (age 47.1 ± 19.2 years) were included. Twenty (38.6%) received dental implants. Race was associated with the likelihood of receiving implants (P = .0302). African Americans (1/11, 9.1%) were least likely compared to all other racial groups to have implants (odds ratio = 0.1158; P = .035; 95% confidence interval 0.013-0.989). Caucasians (17/35, 48.6%) were 4.41 times more likely to receive implants compared to all other races (odds ratio = 4.41; 95% confidence interval 1.073-18.093; P = .038). Of the 20 patients who received implants, 10 went on to have dental prostheses. The most common reason for not having implants was cost (37.5% overall), cited by 50% of black and 16.7% of white patients. CONCLUSION: Patients do not typically go on to dental reconstruction after mandibular resection, with cost as a major barrier. African Americans were least likely to complete full reconstruction.