The present feature topic of Forum Implantologicum focuses on dental implant placement in patients who have lost teeth due to periodontal diseases.
In clinical practice, installation of dental implants has become a routine procedure for the replacement of missing teeth by means of removable or fixed dental prostheses. In addition, outcomes from long-term clinical studies indicate that implant-supported restorations represent a predictable treatment modality for the management of fully and partially edentulous patients.
However, as reported in the S3 clinical practice guideline of the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) on the prevention and treatment of peri-implant diseases (Herrera et al. 2023), strong evidence points to an increased risk of developing peri-implant diseases and implant loss in patients with a history of periodontitis (Carra et al. 2022) who are non-compliant with supportive peri-implant care following implant therapy.
This Forum Implantologicum feature topic aims to provide an overview of the value of maintaining a healthy natural dentition and on dental implants placed in patients with a history of periodontitis by addressing the following topics in review articles by renowned expert authors and groups:
The value of periodontally compromised teeth by C. Zappalà et al.
In this article, the authors highlight the value of periodontally compromised teeth and the importance of increasing the awareness of the good long-term outcomes of periodontal therapy for teeth with an initially doubtful prognosis.
The impact of periodontal therapy on the success of dental implants by A. Stähli et al.
In this review, the importance of the quality of periodontal therapy prior to implant placement with respect to the development of peri-implant diseases is emphasized.
The significance of early diagnosis of peri-implant diseases and the importance of supportive peri-implant care by L. J. Heitz-Mayfield
In order to implement the correct treatment choices in the management of patients with peri-implant diseases, the correct diagnosis is required. Case definitions for peri-implant health, peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis were presented at the World Workshop for the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant diseases (Berglundh et al. 2018). In addition, in patients with a history of periodontitis, compliance with regular supportive peri-implant care was shown to be fundamental to achieving high long-term survival rates of dental implants (Roccuzzo et al. 2022). Hence, patients in need of rehabilitation with dental implants should be informed before treatment begins that the risk for implant loss considerably increases in the case of a history of periodontitis and lack of compliance with supportive peri-implant care. This review article will address and critically discuss this important topic.
Non-surgical and surgical management of peri-implantitis by K. Bertl & A. Stavropoulos
This article presents a step-by-step non-surgical and surgical treatment concept for treating peri-implantitis that is supported by current scientific knowledge and illustrated with clinical cases.
Management following implant loss/removal by A. Monje
Here, the author presents strategies for implant removal and the corresponding soft and hard tissue management when the implant has failed and needs to be explanted.
On behalf of the Editorial Board, we hope you will enjoy reading these articles, and that they will also help guide you in your daily clinical work when treating patients with a history of periodontitis with dental implants.
Giovanni E. Salvi & Michael M. Bornstein