High Prevalence Rates of Peri-implant mucositis and Peri-implantitis Post Dental Implantations Dictate Need for Continuous Peri-implant Maintenance.

While many clinicians are cognizant of the high survival rate of dental implants, the elevated prevalences of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis post implant insertions may not be as well known. This underscores the need for greater awareness of the importance of continuous personal and professional peri-implant maintenance to facilitate implant success. The occurrence of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis post implant insertions among patients ranges in studies from 46% to 63% and 19% to 23%, respectively. Individuals who undertake regular personal and professional maintenance therapy compared to patients who have irregular supportive therapy manifest reduced occurrences of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis. The frequency of professional maintenance intervals usually ranges from 3 to 6 months, and its specific periodicity should be based on a patient's risk profile. Supportive care visits provide the clinician an opportunity to monitor peri-implant status. No long-term controlled clinical trials have evaluated the timing of maintenance intervals, but substantial evidence shows that professional supportive care enhances peri-implant health and the success rate of dental implants. A patient's informed consent form should include the responsibility to be compliant with personal and professional peri-implant supportive therapy.

Repair of Lingual Gingival Fenestrations Through the Use of a Subepithelial Connective Tissue Graft.

A gingival fenestration is a localized perforation of keratinized gingival tissue that may result in underlying bone resorption and root exposure. This case report describes treatment of mandibular lingual gingival fenestrations caused by traumatic forces from an ill-fitting removable partial denture that rested on a thin periodontal phenotype. A subepithelial connective tissue graft was used to correct these fenestrations. At the 2-year follow-up, the gingival tissues presented in a state of health.

Unexpected return of sensation following 4.5 years of paresthesia: case report.

Neural damage leads to a transient or persistent alteration, depending on the severity or type of injury sustained. During the last decade, many investigators reported on paresthesia related to dental implants. In this case report, the patient had presented repeatedly with swelling and suppuration, showing typical signs of peri-implantitis. In addition, the implant was placed in proximity to the mental foramen and possibly had traumatized the mental nerve because the patient had had an altered sensation on his left side for the past 4.5 years. After removal of the implant, a significant diminishing of the paresthesia had occurred, described by the patient as a 40% improvement. Further improvement occurred at 6 and 9 months. In this case report, the findings differ from the current literature in that the return of sensation occurred following a prolonged state of paresthesia. This report documents 2 unique findings. First, an area of persistent paresthesia significantly improved 50 months after the initial injury, upon the removal of the offending implant. Second, the placement of another implant in the same vicinity did not result in recurrent paresthesia.

Periodontal terminology revisited.

The body of knowledge that was the basis of the science and therapy of periodontics can be found in the literature of the 1950s and 60s. This information conveniently was presented in various textbooks. The evolution of research utilizing histochemistry and electron microscopy, along with disciplined clinical studies, has resulted in an exponential increase in information. A by-product of this worldwide effort is confusion resulting from the misuse and interchangeable application of terms disregarding the definitions originally accepted. Even with workshops designed in part to arrive at consensus to preclude confusion, the literature is replete with misleading use of nomenclature. The lack of attention to the appropriate use of terms is, at best, confusing to the student, researcher, and clinician. In the worst case, it may result in poor performance on examinations and improper evaluation of techniques and materials. Many periodontal terms are used inappropriately or are not completely understood, probably because these words have not been adequately described in the literature. Some of the more commonly used and confused terms will be discussed using literature to support the definitions.