Cell Phone Radiation Effect on Bone-to-Implant Osseointegration: A Preliminary Histologic Evaluation in Rabbits

Purpose: The increased use of cell phones has raised many questions as to whether their use is safe for patients with dental implants. This study aimed to assess the consequences of cell phone-emitted radiation on bone-to-implant osseointegration during the healing phase. Materials and Methods: Twelve rabbits were grouped into three groups of four. Group 1 (control) was not exposed to electromagnetic radiation; group 2 (test) was exposed for 8 hours/day in speech mode and 16 hours/day in standby mode; and group 3 (test) was exposed for 24 hours continuously in standby mode for 3 months. Forty-eight implants were placed in the tibia and femur bone of rabbits, and after 90 days, the rabbits were sacrificed and bone surrounding the implant was retrieved. Histopathologic evaluations of the specimens were done using a transmitted light microscope. The differences among the three groups were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and pairwise comparisons via Fisher's exact test. Results: Significantly less bone-to-implant contact and bone area surrounding implant threads were found in the test groups compared with the control group. There was a significant difference in regular bone formation (P .001) among the three groups. Conclusion: Implants exposed to cell phone radiation showed more inflammatory reaction compared with the nonexposed implants, thus indicating that cellular phone overuse could affect the maturation of bone and thus delay osseointegration. Keywords: cell phones, dental implants, nonionizing radiation, osseointegration