If you are getting a dental implant, you should be aware of your risk for peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory infection caused by pathogens that are implicated in periodontal disease. These bacteria can destroy supportive oral tissues and cause the implant to fail if they aren't removed. Some people are more prone to peri-implantitis than others. For instance, if you have poorly controlled diabetes, poor oral hygiene, or smoking habit, you could be at risk for this complication. Thankfully, there are ways that your dentist can treat this condition so that your implant procedure is a success. Here are a few ways that peri-implantitis can be treated.
Surgical and Non-Surgical Debridement
There are two methods of debridement: surgical and non-surgical debridement. During a surgical debridement procedure, your dentist will use instruments to scrape and excise any diseased tissue. Your dentist can perform a non-augmentative or augmentative debridement. During non-augmentative debridement, your dentist will open a small flap in the gum tissue to remove bacteria. If the infection is deep and has already affected the jaw bone, then your dentist may need to augment the jaw bone and place bone grafts to prevent further horizontal bone loss.
If the peri-implantitis is in its early stages, then your dentist can perform a non-surgical debridement by unscrewing the implant and removing the restoration temporarily. Once the implant crown is removed, the dentist will flush the area with sterile saline and use a micro-brush to debride infected tissue. After the debridement is finished, your dentist will prescribe antibiotics and/or chlorhexidine mouthwashes to catch any bacteria that may have been missed.
Electrolytic Therapy
Electrolytic therapy is a relatively new therapy that is extremely effective at removing bacterial biofilms. One study found that electrolytic therapy could inactivate all bacteria on an implant surface compared to other approaches. Another study found that people who underwent this treatment saw improvements in their bone tissue and gum pocket depths.
This treatment is great for the early stages of peri-implantitis that are mainly around the implant body. Your dentist will rinse the implant body with a solution that contains ions, or molecules with electric charges. He or she will then run an electric current through this liquid which lifts biofilms off implant surfaces. While this electrolytic therapy destroys bacteria, it doesn't hurt healthy oral tissues.
As you can see, there are ways to treat peri-implantitis so that your dental implant can last. Reach out to a dentist in your area today to learn more.
Share28 March 2022
Hi, my name is Kevin Nelson and I want to tell you about my experience. I had a painful tooth so I went to see my dentist. After the examination, he said that I needed to have a root canal to save the tooth. I told the dentist to just pull the tooth instead and then he explained why that wasn't a good idea. He said that pulling the tooth would cause additional problems and then he told me what could happen. I didn't want any more problems, so the dentist did the root canal and I'm glad that he did. I wanted to write a blog to tell others about the benefits of a root canal and what to expect during the procedure. I hope that by getting the word out, other people won't make the same mistake that I almost did by getting a perfectly good tooth pulled.