Häusliche und professionelle Maßnahmen zur Prävention periimplantärer Erkrankungen

Abstract

The maintenance of peri-implant health and the prevention of peri-implant diseases are essential for a long-term implant success. Considering both issues, a consequent implementation of an individual, risk-oriented prevention concept must be developed prior to implant placement. Therefore, a targeted patient management in the so-called supportive implant therapy (SIT) is an important contribution to healthy implants.Apart from an adequate individual oral hygiene at home, a professional dental team that performs clinical diagnostics and implant cleaning is just as necessary and important for the patient. Thus, SIT must not only consist of a mechanical cleaning of the implants but must also cover a regular re-motivation and re-instruction for individual oral hygiene. Regular intervals of (at least) six months are recommended.A mechanical bio film management–at home as well as in the dental office–can be performed with well-established tools, such as tooth brushes (manual or electric), interdental brushes, or floss as well as with specific instruments or systems for implant cleaning (manual instruments, oscillating sonic or ultra-sonic scalers, air-flow polishing device). The additional use of chemical agents does not offer an additional clinical benefit. Up to now, no superiority of one of the aforementioned procedures has been documented. Accordingly, a regular mechanical implant cleaning is the most important tool in implant follow-up care, independent from the instruments applied. However, even with regular professional care, the development of peri-implant diseases cannot be avoided completely.