Poor maintenance of implant hygiene associated with peri-implant diseases: Study

Peri-implant diseases are inflammatory conditions affecting the soft and hard gum tissues around dental implants. Similar to a natural tooth, bacteria can build up on the base of the implant, below the gum line.

This study investigated the possible correlations between patient-performed implant hygiene and peri-implant success and disease, as well as patient-reported outcomes, in a community-based cohort.

Fifty-one patients (78 implants) from two private general practices were surveyed on their dental implant treatment history, oral hygiene instructions (OHI) received, home hygiene habits and current implant concerns. Their dentition, plaque/calculus scores and clinical implant parameters were examined. Correlations between hygiene habits, risk factors, implant success and peri-implant disease rates were assessed.

The Results of the study are as follows:

Implants had a patient-reported mean time in function of 6.7 years. Floss (74.4%), interdental brushes (IDB) (44.9%) and mouthwash (39.7%) were commonly used, while 7.7% of implants were only cleaned by brushing. Over half (56.4%) of implants fulfilled the success criteria, 61.5% had peri-implant health, 24.4% had mucositis and 7.7% had peri-implantitis. Only brushing (P < 0.001) and detectable plaque/calculus (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with more peri-implant disease. Local prosthetic factors affecting cleaning accessibility significantly reduced implant success (P < 0.001). Patients reported mixed recall of implant oral hygiene instructions (OHI), 7.7% of implants were aesthetically unsatisfactory and 9.0% had peri-implant symptoms.

Thus, the researchers concluded that the lack of interproximal cleaning and the presence of plaque/calculus were significantly associated with peri-implant disease in a community-based general practice setting, and patients reported mixed recall of oral hygiene instructions (OHI).

Reference:

Patient-reported oral hygiene and implant outcomes in general dental practice by Monique Charlene Cheung et al. published in the Australian Dental Journal.

https://doi.org/10.1111/adj.12806