Effects of adjacent periodontitis on osseointegrated dental implants

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to investigate whether newly emerged periodontitis or apical periodontitis on the adjacent teeth affects osseointegrated dental implants in a beagle dog model. The mandibular second and fourth premolars on both sides of three beagles were extracted. Two months after extraction, four bone-level implant fixtures, two on both sides of each mandible, were placed in each beagle. Six weeks after implant surgery, healing abutments were connected. After sufficient osseointegration, plaque control was performed in the control group, while periodontitis and apical periodontitis were induced in the experimental groups. The beagles were euthanized for histological analyses five months after induction of experimental periodontitis. The implants in the control and apical periodontitis groups were well-maintained, while those in the periodontitis group showed clinical signs of inflammation with bone resorption. The bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone area (BA) values in the periodontitis group were lower than those in the other groups. The distance between the implant shoulder and the first BIC was significantly greater in the periodontitis group than in the control group. Unlike apical periodontitis, periodontitis of the teeth surrounding dental implants can induce peri-implantitis. Periodontal healthcare is essential for long-term dental implant survival.