As dental implants become more common, dentists can expect to see more cases of peri-implantitis, an irreversible inflammatory disease typically caused by plaque and biofilm accumulating on the implant’s exterior. Without treatment, it may result in excessive bone loss and implant failure. Surgical therapies are most suitable for accessing and removing the biofilm, impeding the disease’s progression. However, a team of Korean researchers has developed an alternative cleaning and regenerative surgical process.
The researchers used a round titanium brush to remove the debris while maintaining the diseased implant’s rough surface. Next, they used a regenerative approach incorporating bone graft materials to rebuild the bone surrounding the implant. Successfully removing the biofilm while maintaining the rough surface was essential to successful bone regeneration. According to the researchers, the titanium brush was extremely effective at removing the biofilm while preserving the rough surface, making the regeneration more successful and predictable.
The researchers noted that the results obtained in the pair of cases that used the new technique emphasize the importance of mechanical decontamination by eliminating the contaminated surface and creating a new rough surface for a regenerative approach. They also said the technique effectively cleaned the contaminated implant surface and produced positive clinical and radiological results during the 2-year follow-up period. Further studies are necessary, though, to verify the technique’s reliability and validity, they added.
After 2 years, the bone level was preserved. Also, there was a reduction in chair time, benefiting both the surgeon with a higher success rate and the patient with less muscle fatigue and joint pain associated with prolonged opening of the mouth. Overall, the researchers are confident in the technique’s outcome and recommend future research to track the procedure’s long-term success.
The study, “Surgical Treatment of Severe Peri-Implantitis Using a Round Titanium Brush for Implant Surface Decontamination: A Case Report with Clinical Reentry,” was published by the Journal of Oral Implantology.
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