Peri-Implant Diseases
Peri-implantitis is a damaging inflammatory process which affects the soft and hard tissues surrounding a dental implant. The soft tissue will become inflamed and the alveolar bone, which surrounds and supports the implant for the purposes of stability, is reduced over time.
The bone loss with peri-implantitis makes this disease different from peri-mucositis, which is a reversible inflammatory reaction involving only the soft tissue around the implant.
The Signs and Symptoms of Peri-Implant Diseases
Peri-implantitis does not appear in the same fashion for everyone. It is recommended that you continue to attend your regular dental appointments and to seek advice from your dentist if you have any concerns.
To begin with, it should be stated that healthy peri-implant tissue should not be swollen, bleeding, producing pus, or have a red color appearance.
From your perspective, you might notice a loosening or a wobbling of your implant. This symptom happens with a more advanced stage of peri-implantitis, because now the implant fusion into the jawbone is being compromised. It is more likely that you will first notice bleeding while you are brushing your teeth. You might also notice some swelling around the implant, that you have bad breath or foul taste has become present in your mouth.
From a clinically standpoint, peri-implantitis includes both the inflammation of soft tissue and damage to the jawbone, which is usually identified with an x-ray and when bleeding happens with nearby tissues are probed, which is a common sign for soft tissue inflammation. On rare occasions you can have bone loss without any signs of soft tissue inflammation. Without any evidence of bone loss, then the diagnosis peri-mucositis disease.
Other symptoms can include pain and gingival hyperplasia. Pain is a rare symptom and is usually from an acute infection.
Signs most often identified by your dentist:
* Bleeding and possible discharge of pus with soft tissue probing.
* Inflammation and swelling.
* Pocket formation or gum recession.
* A change from pink to redness.
* Hyperplasia.
* X-ray evidence of bone loss around implant.
Symptoms most often identified by you:
* Bleeding when you brush your teeth.
* Swelling around your implant.
* A foul taste in your mouth.
* Bad breath.
* A loose implant.
* Rare pain or discomfort.
Prevention of Peri Implant Diseases
If peri-implant mucositis is evident, it needs to be treated to avoid the progression to peri-implantitis, for which there are no easy treatments to reverse its effects.
You must carry out plaque removal daily to prevent and treat peri-implant mucositis with toothbrushing. Your dentist needs to provide oral hygiene instructions to ensure you are removing plaque sufficiently. The risk of implant diseases is significantly higher if you smoke. You will be encouraged to quit smoking to achieve the best results.
Your dentist is responsible for ensuring that different elements of your implant are the correct size to avoid creating additional problems. The margins of the restoration should be placed to remove any extruded cement during placement. After implant placement, your dentist must carefully and regularly monitor the health of the peri-implant mucosa at your regular checkups.