As dental implant treatment became increasingly popular, dentists started noticing that some dental implant patients were experiencing inflammation of tissue around their implants. This inflammation is what dentists call peri-implant disease. Dentists responded quickly to these findings, identifying factors that could put patients at risk for these peri-implant diseases, and developing treatments.

What is peri-implant disease?

Peri-implant disease is broken down into two categories: peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis. The diagnosis of peri-implant mucositis is used when the inflammation is only in the gums around the dental implant, but the bone is not affected. When the infection becomes worse and the bone levels and quality around the implant start to deteriorate, that’s when the diagnosis changes to peri-implantitis.

What are risk factors associated with peri-implant disease?

The risk factors are the same ones that cause disease in natural teeth. Dental implants require similar care to natural teeth, so brushing, flossing, and professional cleanings are essential to keeping implants healthy. Other factors associated with peri-implant disease are smoking, diabetes, and having periodontal disease before the implants were put in.

What are signs you might have peri-implant disease?

The symptoms for peri-implant disease are similar to those of gum disease, such as red, tender gums around their dental implants and bleeding during brushing. When any of these symptoms exist, it’s time to contact your dentist in order to catch the disease early before it’s too late.

What’s the treatment for peri-implant disease?

In the initial stages of the disease, scaling and root planing, combined with antibiotics, could be enough to treat the infection and save the implant. But as the disease progresses and bone levels around the implant begin to deteriorate, it may be necessary to have oral surgery in order to regenerate the bone at the site of the implant.

If you have any signs of redness, sensitivity, or bleeding at the site of your dental implant don’t hesitate to contact your dentist in order to stop the disease as soon as possible.