Research Corner - Peri-implantitis - Is it mainly a clinician-initiated complication of implant therapy?

Dr Kitty Guo has kindly written a precis of a really thought-provoking article that was recently published.

Peri-implantitis - Is it mainly a clinician-initiated complication of implant therapy?

Following on from the previous month’s research corner, this review on factors linking surgical and prosthetic errors to peri-implantitis development again focuses on the importance of clinical technique. The authors examine the growing body of evidence around the development of peri-implant disease,including a retrospective study in which the majority of peri-implant cases were attributed to clinician-related factors, while only 28.8% were purely plaque induced.

This review covers in detail the numerous factors contributing to the development of peri-implantitis, with a focus on the key predisposing factor for peri-implantitis: the exposure of the micro-rough implant surface to bacterial colonisation. The authors discuss through review of the evidence that the exposure of the micro-rough implant surface is frequently the consequence of surgical and prosthetic planning and therefore can often be preventable.

It comprehensively summarises the relevant existing literature of the biological and technical pathways leading to peri-impact it is and offers practical, evidence based recommendations for optimising surgical planning, implant placement, prosthetic design and long term maintenance.

View research paper.