Intravenous bisphosphonate therapy does not thicken cementum or change periodontal ligaments of cancer patients

ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that intravenous (IV) bisphosphonate (BP) therapy thickens or alters the micromorphology of cementum and periodontal ligament (PDL) in cancer patients.Study DesignThirty-two teeth extracted from 24 cancer patients and separated into test (patients who have undergone IV BP therapy, n = 16) and control (patients naive to BP therapy, n = 16) groups were studied. Cementum thickness was measured in 3 different areas of the dental root with polarized light microscopy. PDL was assessed by optical light microscopy and the immunohistochemical expression of periostin.ResultsNo significant difference was detected in cementum thickness (apical, P = .06; medium, P = .16; cervical, P = .18) between groups. The numbers of fibroblasts in PDL (P = .56), incremental lines of cementum (P = .51) and the immunohistochemical patterns of periostin expression in PDL (P = .68) did not differ between groups.ConclusionIV BP therapy does not thicken cementum or change the micromorphology of PDL.