Implant Dentistry Without Peri-Implantitis at the AO Annual Meeting

This week, from March 7th to 9th, the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Osseointegration (AO) will commence at the Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The theme of this year’s conference, “Going beyond the Boundaries – Optimizing Patient Care Through Scientific and Clinical Innovation,” resonates with the Swiss Implant System Patent committed to preventing peri-implantitis. The key to success: the implant’s unique combination of specialized surface topography, soft-tissue level design, and exclusive material composition, which facilitates strong and intimate soft-tissue adhesion – providing an ideal defense barrier against bacteria (Fig. 1).

The Patent System’s success in preventing peri-implantitis is backed by long-term scientific evidence.

Fig. 1: How Patent can prevent peri-implantitis: Thanks to a purposeful combination of a soft-tissue level design, specialized surface topography and company-owned material composition, the two-piece Patent™ Implant achieves intimate contact between its transmucosal surface and the soft tissue. The resulting biological interface can prevent bacteria from invading the peri-implant soft and hard tissue. Furthermore, the implant design avoids a microgap at the critical crestal bone level, where bacteria could potentially accumulate. Instead, the crown margin together with the sealed prosthetic connection is positioned equigingivally, making it easily accessible for oral hygiene. These factors are crucial to avoiding chronic tissue inflammation like peri-implantitis in the long term. ©Peter Schüpbach, Patent

“The nightmare of implant dentistry”

Commenting on the results of meta-analyses and discourse at dental congresses worldwide, Marco Waldner, founder and CEO of Patent, recently described peri-implantitis as “the nightmare of implant dentistry.” It is estimated that 22% (weighted mean) of implants will be affected by peri-implantitis during their functional lifespan. The prevalence of peri-implant mucositis—the chronic inflammation of the soft tissue, the condition preceding peri-implantitis—is even higher, around 43%–47%.^1,2 Considering the growing number of patients choosing dental implants as their primary solution for tooth replacement, the implications of this complication are alarming: Once established, peri-implantitis is difficult to treat and in many cases ends in implant loss.³ The significance of the topic is underscored by its inclusion in the opening symposium of the AO Meeting.

No peri-implantitis after 9 and up to 12 years

Two new independent long-term studies, conducted at the universities of Düsseldorf (Germany) and Graz (Austria), have now confirmed the long-term success of the two-piece Patent™ Implant in preventing peri-implantitis.^4,5 In the latter study, Dr. Sofia Karapataki in collaboration with Dr. Harald Fahrenholz from Vienna followed up 91 Patent Implants placed in 39 patients for 5 and up to 12 years of function, paying particular focus on the occurrence of biological complications. This study intentionally included patients encountered in daily practice, who presented general health conditions such as cancer, Down’s syndrome or MS, who suffered from periodontitis, or were (heavy) smokers. The results were published in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, one of the highest-impact journals in the dental world.

Study findings at a glance:

• No peri-implantitis – even in compromised patients
• Survival and success rates of 100%^6,7
• Only minor prosthetic and biological complications: Only 3 patients (7.7%; 9 implants) with symptoms of peri-implant mucositis. No marginal bone loss or only slight changes of bone level (< 0.7 mm) in 85 implants. Six implants with bone loss of more than 0.7 mm. Maximum marginal bone loss of 1.67 mm
• Healthy soft tissue in 36 patients (81 implants)

Study author Dr. Karapataki concluded: “The study documents outstanding long-term results achieved with the implant system investigated – including ‘real-life’ patients whom I treat in my practice on a daily basis. This offers hope for more implant treatments without peri-implantitis in daily practice.”

In light of these results, Marco Waldner is convinced: “The prevention of peri-implantitis starts with the dentists’ choice of implant system – this is exactly where Patent comes into play.”

Discover Patent at the AO Meeting

Attendees of this year’s AO Annual Meeting will have the exclusive opportunity to learn more about the results of the long-term studies on Patent Dental Implants from Paul Delgado (Director International Sales at Patent) and Gerry Romanescu (Manager Customer Experience). Make sure to visit the Patent booth during the conference to explore the implications of the study findings for daily implant practice and to understand why Patent™ can achieve such remarkable long-term biological success.

Learn more about Patent: www.mypatent.com/

Follow us on Instagram: @patent.implants

REFERENCES

1. Derks J, Tomasi C. Peri-implant health and disease. A systematic review of current epidemiology. J Clin Periodontol 2015;42(16):s158–s171.
2. Lee CT, Huang YW, Zhu L, Weltman R. Prevalences of peri-implantitis and peri-implant mucositis: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent 2017;62:1–12.
3. Abdelhay N., Prasad S. & Gibson MP (2021) Failure rates associated with guided versus non-guided dental implant placement: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BDJ Open 7; 31 (2021). DOI: 1038/s41405-021-00086-1
4. Karapataki S, Vegh D, Payer M, Fahrenholz H, Antonoglou GN. Clinical performance of two-piece zirconia dental implants after 5 and up to 12 years. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2023;38:1105–1114. DOI: 11607/jomi.10284
5. Brunello G, Rauch N, Becker K, Hakimi. AR, Schwartz F, Becker J. Two-piece zirconia implants in posterior regions: A cohort study with a follow-up period of 9 years. Clin Oral Implants Res 2022;33:1233–1244.
6. Buser D, Weber HP, Lang NP. Tissue integration of non-submerged implants. 1-year results of a prospective study with 100 ITI hollow-cylinder and hollow-screw implants. Clin Oral Implants Res 1990;1:33–40.
7. Kohal RJ, Knauf M, Larsson B, Sahlin H, Butz F. One-piece zirconia oral implants: One-year results from a prospective cohort study. 1. Single tooth replacement. J Clin Periodontol 2012;39:590–597.

About the Patent Dental Implant System

Thanks to Patent Dental Implants, an ever-growing number of clinicians worldwide experience on a day-to-day basis that “Implant Dentistry Without Peri-Implantitis” is a reality – today.

In 2003, two distinguished implant specialists from Germany began developing a novel dental implant with the aim of addressing the surging numbers of peri-implantitis cases occurring with the existing systems, despite decades of clinical experience.

Recognizing that peri-implantitis always originates in the soft tissue and is caused by pathogenic bacteria, their goal was to foster soft-tissue adhesion to the implant surface so strong that it could prevent bacteria from invading the peri-implant tissue. They achieved this goal through an unprecedented combination of a specialized surface topography, a unique soft-tissue level design and an exclusive material composition, facilitating strong and intimate contact between the implant’s transgingival surface and the soft tissue – providing an ideal defense barrier against bacteria.

Equally crucial to this ability to minimize the risk of chronic tissue inflammation like peri-implantitis, the implant design avoids a microgap at the critical crestal bone level, where bacteria could potentially accumulate.

In 2019, this innovative dental implant technology was acquired by Zurich-based manufacturing company Zircon Medical Management AG and continued its unparalleled success story under the brand name Patent Dental Implant System. Today, Patent has a performance record of over 20 years of clinical use by long-standing users, and its success has been validated by independent long-term studies at the universities of Düsseldorf and Graz, which found healthy soft tissue and only minimal marginal bone loss after 9 years of function and no peri-implantitis even after 12 years (Brunello et al. 2022; Karapataki et al. 2023).