Impact of Peri-implant Treatment Using Glycine Powder Air-abrasive Debridement on the Oral Microbiome

Objectives: Peri-implant mucositis is a bacterially-induced inflammation of the soft tissue surrounding an implant in function. Although reversible, the disease is gaining prominence in dental implant therapy, since emerging evidence indicates that chronic or repeated episodes of peri-implant mucositis may increase the risk for peri-implantitis. The purpose was to examine the efficacy of glycine powder air-abrasive debridement (GPAD) in reversing peri-implant mucositis by evaluating shifts in the microbiome.
Methods: Using a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, 30 participants, with at least 1 tooth-borne dental implant, were randomly assigned to control and treatment groups. The treatment group received GPAD using a handheld air-abrasive device and glycine powder. The control group received supragingival and subgingival debridement using an ultrasonic scaler. Clinical measurements and crevicular fluid were collected from the dental implant and adjacent teeth over 6 months.
Results: MANOVA was conducted to determine differences in probing depth (PD), gingival index (GI), and plaque index (PI) based on implant vs. adjacent teeth, group (glycine vs. ultrasonic), and visit (7 time points). Significant differences were found in GI based on group and visit (F(6,3525)=3.571, p=.002) and in PI based on group and visit (F(6,3525)=2.640, p=.015). Crevicular fluid will be processed for microbiological and immunologic/inflammatory marker analysis using bead-based hybridization assay and cytokine analysis using bead-based flow cytometry.
Conclusions: Differences in clinical measurements were found between dental implants treated with GPAD. Microbiological, immunologic/inflammatory marker, and cytokine analysis will confirm the efficacy of GPAD in reversing peri-implant mucositis.