
Mucositis (inflammation around the implant) or periimplantitis (inflammation of the gum with loss of bone)
Lack of hygiene, the use of some implant restoration designs or implant positions increase the risk of mucositis or periimplantitis. Those factors should be avoided. The replacement of a tooth by an implant not only involves imitating the esthetics of the replaced tooth, but also its function. The tooth cement helps to keep the gum stable on the tooth surface. When we replace the tooth with an implant, the implant should stabilize the gum in the same way. When it does not, the gum retracts and the implant becomes contaminated, producing mucositis or peri-implantitis.
Proper dental hygiene and implant maintenance is necessary after implant treatment.
The best way to avoid peri-implantitis is by using implant systems that prevent recession like those that have conical abutments. This simple device stabilizes the gum and protects the implant from contamination.
If peri-implantitis is present a gum graft, changing the crown of the implant or even removing it to stop bone reabsorption may be necessary. Maximizing hygienic conditions helps limit the inflammatory response, but does not stop peri-implantitis.