THE CARE AND FEEDING OF DENTAL IMPLANTS
Dental biofilms have been implicated in the development of periodontal diseases as well as in affecting long-term implant success and survival.
In both destructive periodontal diseases and peri-implantitis, the induction of bacterial-induced inflammation either around the tooth or implant has been an important component associated with bone loss.
Unlike microbial therapy for destructive periodontal diseases, predictable techniques to stop progression of bone loss around implants have not been elucidated.
Therefore, proper, preventive maintenance of dental implants is essential for their long term survival. This seminar will review similarities and differences in maintenance of teeth and implants as well as contemporary methods for home care, instrumentation and antimicrobial use for dental implant maintenance.
Learning objectives:
- Identify biological differences between implants and teeth.
- Characterize the conditions and assess the impact of risk factors related to destructive periodontal diseases and peri-implantitis.
- Evaluate various mechanical and pharmacologic methods and techniques for implant maintenance and patient home care.