Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory process that affects the tissues surrounding a dental implant. This can damage the bone support in which it is located and causing the implant loss.
The causes of peri-implantitis
Although the implants are not exposed to cavities as normal teeth, they require adequate maintenance as gingival inflammation and even infection and bone loss can occur. If this happens around natural teeth it is called periodontal disease, but if it affects the implants it is called periimplantitis.
The origin of a periimplantitis is usually the accumulation of plaque and tartar around the surface of the implant. This causes the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the implant and the resorption of the bone in which the implant is located. In another cases, the cause may be the wear of an improper bite or a poor implant placement.
In any case, the lack of oral hygiene and tobacco use are risk factors. The proper care and maintenance of dental implants is important for their function and good health.
Your dentist should explain the proper techniques to keep the implants clean and healthy. It is important to have a correct routine brushing and flossing technique. Your dentist or dental hygienist can also teach you other tools that can help to keep your teeth and implants clean and healthy, such as interdental brushes and irrigators, among others.
How to treat periimplantitis
As most times the origin of peri-implantitis is linked to dental hygiene problems, the most common treatment for this problem is to remove the affected tissue and decontaminate the implant.
Once the surface of the implant is completely clean, if possible, the space left by the reabsorbed bone may be filled with biomaterials. In cases where bone filling is not possible, the area will be sutured, leaving part of the surface of the implant exposed to the oral environment, which will require specific hygienic measures.
There are more serious cases in which the progress of peri-implantitis is greater. In these situations, the treatment is the explantation of the implant and placement of a new one, if possible.
Dental implants are not exempt from proper maintenance just like natural teeth, so it is recommended that you visit your dentist at least twice a year. In our dental medical clinic we perform this treatment, since dental implants are one of the main specialties of our clinic.