Peri-Implant Mucositis and Peri-Implantitis (Gum Disease around Dental Implants)
- Treatments
I have an implant diagnosed with peri-implant disease. What is the treatment?
For mild cases (peri-implant mucositis), self maintenance of good oral hygiene around your dental implant, as well as regular professional cleaning by your dentist/hygienist may be enough to control the disease
In severe cases where bone around the implant has been lost, additional gum surgery may be required. This may involve:
- Bone grafting to reconstruct bone support which has been lost
Bone loss around an implant with a bony defect
Bone grafting within the defect
- Gum grafting to improve the quality of gums
Lack of good quality gum tissues around the bottom right back molar implants
After gum surgery, an increased width of good quality gum tissues is created around the implants
- Surgery to trim bone irregularities around the implant
- Implantoplasty, where threads of the implant are flattened
An implant receiving implantoplasty, with trimming of the surrounding bone to create a healthy bone architecture
- Adjustment or remake of the implant crowns
Before adjustment of the crowns
After adjustment of the crowns: more space to allow for insertion of interdental brushes to maintain oral hygiene at the area
An example of how an interdental brush is inserted between implants
In many cases, a combination of the above is needed. If the disease has progressed too far, the above treatment may be insufficient and removal
of the implant may be necessary.
