“Stop the ticking before it blows:” treatment modalities of peri-implantitis

Abstract

The serendipitous discovery of osseointegration and the subsequent development of dental implants have irrefutably marked an epoch-making point of inflection in not only the basic approach of the clinicians toward treating edentulism but also in the attitudes and preferences of the patients in getting their oral rehabilitation issues resolved. This decisive shift also triggered explosive research targeting improvement in various aspects of dental implants. However, initial success in osseointegration does not necessarily translate into success in long-term function. A successfully osseointegrated implant may be afflicted with early or late complications in due course of service. Of these, peri-implantitis (PI) is considered one of the most common causes of implant failure. For the treatment of peri-implant diseases (mucositis and PI), various conservative and surgical approaches are available. Mucositis and moderate forms of PI can be contained effectively using conservative methods. These include the administration of systemic and local antibiotics alone or in conjunction with other treatment modalities such as nonsurgical therapy which consists of mechanical debridement of the affected areas, irrigation with antiseptics (such as chlorhexidine, saline, and 10% hydrogen peroxide) with or without surface decontamination, laser-supported therapy, photodynamic therapy as well as light-activated disinfection also known as photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy along with maintaining adequate plaque control. In cases with advanced PI, surgical therapies are more effective than conservative approaches. Open flap debridement can be done, and depending on the configuration of the defect, regenerative therapies such as guided tissue regenerative and the use of bone graft materials may be applicable for defect filling whereas resective surgery can be considered for the elimination of peri-implant lesions.

Keywords

• Dental implants
• peri-implantitis
• treatment modalities