Detection of Fluorescence on the Surface of Failed Dental Implants

Objectives: The aim of this case study was to assess the surface of failed implant fixture through optical technology based on the fluorescence.
Methods: All aspects of the failed implant structure were captured using QLF-D under darkroom situations. The QLF-D consists of an SLR camera and is equipped with light sources for producing white-light and blue-light images. The failed implant was positioned 10 cm from the LEDs in QLF-D. The areas of red fluorescence in QLF-D images obtained from all aspects of the failed fixture surface were then analyzed.
Results: A failed implant exhibiting extensive mobility was imaged using QLF-D. Red fluorescence was evident on the surface of implants that failed after at least 2 years of occlusal loading, and exhibited severe bone loss. The white-light image revealed residue granulation tissue on the fixture, which the red fluorescence in the blue-light image was present from the abutment margin down to the apex region of the implant body.
However, Implants with no fluorescence exhibited a clean surface in QLF-D images, and the bone loss could not be observed radiographically. The fixture surface had virtually no residue and so appeared clean in the white-light image, and no fluorescence was evident in the blue-light image.
Conclusions: This report is the first on the ability of QLF-D in detecting bacterial red fluorescence on the surface of a failed dental implant. This case report has described the usefulness of the newly developed QLF-D technology based on fluorescence detection in investigating the causes of differences between dental implant failures due to peri-implantitis or other causative factors.