The study
evaluated rates of dental implant loss and peri-implantitis as the result of
dental implants.
Any dental
procedure comes with the chance of infection, but a recent study out of Sweden
has discovered that patients with dental implants run a high risk – and that
several contributing factors can exacerbate this risk.
The research out
of the University of Gothenburg aimed to evaluate the correlation between
dental implants, implant loss and peri-implantitis, a destructive infection
that affects the tissue surrounding dental implants and can result in loss of
supporting jawbone. Researchers also explored the relationship between
periodontitis and rates of implant loss.
The study
consisted of 4,716 randomly selected participants that had all had dental
implants in 2003-2004. Researchers sent out a survey and received dental
records and charts for 2,765 patients in the study. 596 patients were also
examined at a nine-year follow-up appointment. The results found that almost
eight percent of patients with dental implants experienced the loss of at least
one implant within that timeframe.
More research
on dental implants with dental
implant motor: New discovery can prevent dental implant infections
“Altogether, 7.6
percent of patients had lost at least one implant and 14.5 percent had
developed peri-implantitis with pronounced bone loss,” reported Dr. Jan Derks,
a researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy. 50 percent of patients presented with some
signs of peri-implantitis, but only 14.5% were considered to have moderate to
severe implications (equating to a crestal bone loss exceeding 2 mm). The 7.6
percent that had lost an implant showed an average loss of 29 percent of bone
support.
Dr. Derks’
research also found that patients with preexisting periodontitis experienced an
increased risk of peri-implantitis. Smoking was also identified as a risk
factor contributing to early implant loss. The study also reported that
“progression of peri-implantitis occurred in a non-linear, accelerating
pattern, and, in the majority of cases, the onset of the disease had occurred
early.”
More emerging
research: Study finds protein can inhibit bone loss from periodontitis
Interestingly, the
rate of implant failure did not differ between the general practice and
specialty practices. “22% of all patients in the present sample received their
implants in a general practice setting, and implant los in this subgroup was
not different from outcomes in patients treated in specialist clinics,” the
study stated.
“Peri-implantitis
appears to develop within a few years and then progresses quickly at an
accelerating pace,” said Dr. Derks. He hopes that the information gained from
the study can help dentists minimize the risk of peri-implantitis and implant
loss.
