The Effect of Systemic Statin Intake on Healing of Apical Periodontitis after Nonsurgical Root Canal Treatment: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Abstract

Introduction: This retrospective cohort study compared the radiographic healing of apical periodontitis following root canal treatments and retreatments in patients regularly taking statins versus those who had never taken statins.

Methods: Patients who underwent root canal treatment or retreatment performed by undergraduate and postgraduate students were included. The patients were divided into two age-matched groups: those who reported regularly taking statins and those who had never taken statins. The outcome was assessed using periapical radiographs taken at least at 1-year post-treatment. Teeth with short root canal fillings were excluded. Single and multiple binary logistic regression tested the association between statin use and radiographic treatment outcome while adjusting for root-canal and restoration quality, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, patient age, tooth type, and follow-up period.

Results: A total of 122 teeth were analyzed: 62 from patients taking statins and 60 from patients not taking statins. Using lenient criteria, logistic regression showed no significant difference in healing rates between the statin and control groups (90.3% vs. 90%; OR = 1.04; p = 0.952). However, under strict criteria, patients taking statins had a significantly lower probability of success compared to controls (62.9% vs. 85%; OR = 0.30; p = 0.008).

Conclusions: Patients taking statins had a lower number of radiographic complete healings than those not taking statins. The results of this study challenge the presumed benefits of systemic statins intake on AP healing.