Residual periodontal pockets are a risk indicator for peri-implantitis in patients treated for periodontitis

A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by John R. Radford.

Abstract

Does the data support the conclusion that 'the maintenance of periodontal health, rather than the previous history of periodontitis, is the critical determinant of increased risk of peri-implant disease'?

Main

Cho-Yan Lee J, Mattheos N et al. Clin Oral Implants Res 2012; 23: 325–333

This retrospective case-control study followed 60 patients who received implants, for a minimum of five years. Of these, 30 patients had periodontal disease and underwent treatment before implant placement and the rest were periodontally healthy patients (PHP). Then, only those in the group that had periodontal disease before implant treatment, were categorised at the conclusion of the observational period, as either having at least one periodontal pocket >6 mm ('residual periodontitis'), or with 'no residual periodontitis'. When analysed at the implant level, the number with peri-implantitis were significantly higher in those with 'residual periodontitis'. Yet 'patients treated for periodontitis prior to implant therapy were found to have a significantly higher prevalence of peri-implantitis compared with PHP'.