Post Title

This retrospective clinical study compared two different professional maintenance therapy (MT) approaches, with and without periodic removal and decontamination of prosthetic components, on peri-implant inflammatory clinical and biochemical parameters after 5 years of implant function.Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis based on patient records was used to assess inflammatory clinical and biochemical parameters around dental implants installed by the same clinician in a private clinic. The plaque index (PI), peri-implant probing depth (PPD), mucosa! recession (MR) bleeding on probing (BOP) and radiographic marginal bone level were determined at baseline and at each year during the follow-up period. Moreover, at last follow-up visit the peri-implant intrasulcular levels of active metalloproteinasis 8 (aMMP-8) were also assessed. All participants were under MT with a 6-month recall interval.Results: Ninety-two patients with 132 implants were selected. At the end of the study period, 12 patients with 12 implants were classified as “dropouts”. Remained 80 patients and 120 implants were classified into two groups: Group 1, (42 patients with 62 implants) received MT with periodic removal and decontamination of prosthetic components; Group 2, (38 patients with 58 implants) received MT without periodic removal and decontamination of prosthetic components. No statistical differences were found between the groups regarding presence of plaque, probing depth, and mean mucosal recession. Group 1 presented a statistically significant higher number of sites with BOP (12.4% vs. 6.2%). Marginal bone loss was statistically higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (0.23 ± 0.6 mm vs. and 0.78 ± 0.3 mm). Intrasulcular levels of aMMP-8 were statistically higher in Group 1 than in Group 2.Conclusions: The supplemental application of periodic removal and decontamination of prosthetic components during MT had a significant additional benefit in the peri-implant tissues inflammatory status.