Improving long-term success of dental implants
Adam E. Saltz, D.M.D., president-elect of the Maine Dental Association and a member of the ADA’s New Dentist Committee, detailed advancements in the understanding of peri-implant disease and metallosis.
In a report published in Decisions in Dentistry, Dr. Saltz described a shift in the management of peri-implant disease. Previous research has discovered that some of the materials and techniques for debriding and regenerating intrabony defects could contribute to the development of metallosis — a main driver of peri-implant disease. He noted that a secondary inflammatory response is triggered by the release of titanium particles and ions from the dioxide layer coating the implants.
Further, the insertion, corrosion and fretting of the implants can lead to metallosis.
Clinicians were advised to examine patients for signs of inflammatory mucosal lesions, such as bleeding on probing, suppuration, swelling and erythema. If the condition is left untreated, it may progress to peri-implantitis, characterized by histologic lesions up to twice as large as those observed in periodontitis and rapid and nonlinear bone loss.
Read more: Decisions in Dentistry
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