Treatment of peri implant disease

The key to implant health is prevention! It is imperative that you have appropriate examination of your implant and the gum around it regularly. This should form part of your routine dental examination, for most people every six months or so. If you have a greater need this may be every three or four months. If you are otherwise dentally healthy you may only have annual dental examination. In most cases I would suggest if you have an implant you should not go longer than six months without it being checked. As with natural teeth the inspection of your implant should involve a small dental radiograph (xray) relatively frequently (approximately 1-2 years).  

Signs of implant problems:

• Redness of the gum around the implant
• Bleeding on brushing/cleaning
• Pain/soreness around the implant
• Puss or bleeding around the implant
• Looseness/movement of the implant 

If a problem is identified by your or your dentist, the treatment can vary depending on the extent of the disease.

• If caught early then refining your own cleaning technique or use of instruments can stabilise the problem.
• Some professional non-surgical cleaning can have a beneficial effect.

If there is established inflammation and bone loss around the implant treatment can be complex and is not always successful, it may include:  

• Non-surgical professional cleaning with or without the use of antibiotics
• Surgically lifting the gum around the implant to clean it with either an ultrasonic scaler, air abrasion device or a laser.
• Surgically lifting the gum, cleaning as above and replacing it in a position which makes it easier for you to clean, and the bacteria less likely to remain undisturbed around the implant.
• Surgically lifting the gum, cleaning as above and placing some artificial bone and membrane around the implant to encourage the gum to be more resistant to the bacteria and cleaning.

In some cases the problem is too great and despite our best efforts the implant will need to be removed.