Peri-Implantitis in Subjects with History of Chronic Periodontitis

Objective: Long-term success of dental implants depends largely on the continued health of peri-implant hard and soft tissue. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the presence of peri-implantitis in a group of patients with a history of chronic periodontitis (Group A) versus those without a history of periodontal disease (Group B). Methods: Sixty-one subjects, having 153 dental implants participated in the study. These implants were placed during the period of 1996 and 2001 at Case Western Reserve University by the residents in the Graduate Program in Periodontics. Their ages were between 44 and 70 years. Periodontal examination was performed including plaque and gingival indices, bleeding on probing, probing depth and clinical attachment level. Location and type of implant were also recorded. Peri-implantitis was defined radiographically as bone loss amounting to °Ý 3 mm after one year following restoration. Fisher's exact and Chi-square tests were used to identify significant differences between the two groups. Results: In Group A, 11 out of 76 implants (14.5%) were diagnosed with peri-implantitis. These implants were present in 8 out of the 31 subjects. In Group B, 9 implants out of 77 (11.7%) had peri-implantitis. The peri-implantitis was found in 7 out of the 30 subjects. The difference between the two groups is not statistically significant (P> .05). Conclusion: Dental implants placed in subjects with treated periodontitis are not at more risk for implant failure than those without history of periodontitis.