Air Polishing addition to non surgical therapy fails to improve outcomes in Peri-Implantitis: Study

A study published in the Journal of Oral Dentistry showed that incorporating air polishing into traditional non-surgical treatment does not yield any significant clinical improvement in probing pocket depth (PPD) for peri-implantitis.

Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the tissues surrounding dental implants, characterized by inflammation and progressive supporting bone loss. Effective treatment is essential to control disease progression and preserve implant stability. Thus, this research investigated if the application of air polishing in conjunction with or as a substitute for non-surgical tools enhance the resolution of peri-implantitis and decrease PPD in adults, when compared to the use of instruments alone.

This research searched MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for studies published up to July 15, 2026. 14 comparative studies met the eligibility criteria, of which 10 were included in the meta-analysis. The research evaluated whether air polishing, used either as an adjunct to or a replacement for conventional non-surgical instrumentation, improved PPD and bleeding on probing (BOP). The certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

At 6 months, adding air polishing to conventional instrumentation produced a mean difference in PPD change of −0.03 mm compared with instrumentation alone. The 95% confidence interval ranged from −0.38 to 0.31 mm, indicating no clear additional benefit. When air polishing was used as a replacement for conventional instrumentation, the mean difference was +0.04 mm, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from −0.52 to 0.59 mm.

Neither comparison demonstrated a statistically significant advantage, and no significant differences were identified between the two therapeutic approaches. The analysis also found no significant differences in bleeding on probing or at other assessment time points. However, the certainty of the evidence was low for adjunctive treatment outcomes and very low for the remaining outcomes, limiting confidence in the estimates.

Overall, the results indicate that incorporating air polishing as a regular part of traditional non-surgical tools has not demonstrated significant enhancements in treating peri-implantitis. However, it is important to note that these findings do not definitively prove the inefficacy of air polishing. The available evidence on its substitution is currently inconclusive in determining if it is better, equal, or worse than traditional tools.

Source:

Kamnoedboon, P., Thaqi, E., Nantanapiboon, D., & Srinivasan, M. (2026). Air polishing as an adjunct to or replacement for conventional instrumentation in non-surgical peri-implantitis treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Dentistry, (107125), 107125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2026.107125