From peri-implantitis to dental emergency – minor, medium, major?

Abstract

Introduction. Peri-implantitis is a condition of the tissues adjacent to dental implants, which can occur in patients with implant-prosthetic restorations, following inadequate prophylactic measures. However, these peri-implants, untreated or improperly treated, can lead over time to quite severe complications, which can quickly turn into emergencies of low, medium or increased intensity in the usual dental care. Purpose. Peri-implantitis is not a major dental emergency, but ignoring and/or treating it incorrectly can lead to complications that are considered major in dentistry. That is why we tried through this study to verify the knowledge related to peri-implantitis as well as the complications that may arise from the nontreatment of these diseases, among the practitioners involved in this field. Material and method. The study was conducted with the help of 37 specialists involved in implantprosthetic treatments, aged between 37 and 53 years, using a 7-point questionnaire. Results and discussions. The results show the concern of specialists in the field of oral implantology regarding peri-implantitis, as well as the complications arising from them. Conclusions. Knowing the causes but also the complications arising from peri-implantitis are very important for the creating preventive programs, which with a reduced effort bring the long-term success of implant supported restorations.