Latest EuroPerio Series session explored challenge posed by peri-implantitis

The fifth of seven EuroPerio Series online educational sessions, which are designed to pave the way to EuroPerio 10 in Copenhagen in June, took place on 10 January, with a team of experts focusing on the surgical treatment of peri-implantitis.

The session, “Peri-Implant diseases – the Scandinavian connection: What is new in the surgical management of peri-implantitis?”, featured contributions from five leading periodontists who explored aspects ranging from general concepts in treating periodontitis to the specifics of access flaps, reconstructive therapy, and implant-surface decontamination.

Introducing the session, Tord Berglundh, professor of periodontology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg in Sweden, noted how when he started to practise dentistry 43 years ago “nobody knew anything about peri-implantitis: there was no disease entity discussed in the undergraduate training programme or in my years in the dental clinic.”

Since “a new disease entity” first appeared in papers from the end of the 1980s, “peri-implantitis has become recognised as a global problem, as a well-established problem in dentistry,” said Prof Berglundh, who was a co-chair of the working group on peri-implantitis at the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions and author of the EFP’s guidance note on peri-implant health, peri-implant mucositis, and peri-implantitis.

He emphasised that while peri-implantitis around implants was the counterpart of periodontitis around teeth, there were significant differences between the diseases which were important when discussing how to manage peri-implantitis. While inflammation is involved in both periodontitis and peri-implantitis – as a response to the accumulation of bacteria on the tooth or implant – the disease progression of peri-implantitis is usually much faster than periodontitis and peri-implantitis lesions are is often much larger than those involved in periodontitis.

EFP president-elect Andreas Stavropoulos discussed general concepts and features that clinicians should be aware of before starting to treat peri-implantitis.