The effect of orally administered probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri-containing tablets in peri-implant mucositis: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Probiotics create a biofilm and protect the oral tissues against the action of periodontal pathogenic bacteria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the oral probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis upon the peri-implant health of edentulous patients with dental implants and peri-implant mucositis, establishing comparisons vs implants without peri-implant disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective cross-over study was made. The patients were all edentulous and were divided into two groups, (A) no peri-implant disease, and (B) peri-implant mucositis affecting one or more implants. Patients with peri-implantitis were excluded. The dosage was one tablet every 24 h over 30 d. All patients in both groups initially received the oral probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri Prodentis, followed by placebo. Patients started with probiotic treatment during 30 d, followed by a 6 mo washout period and the administration of placebo for the same period. The following parameters were studied: crevicular fluid volume, modified plaque index, probing depth, modified gingival index, and concentrations of interleukin 1ß, interleukin 6 and interleukin 8. RESULTS: A total of 77 implants were evaluated in 34 patients. Group A involved 22 patients with 54 implants without peri-implant alterations, and group B, 12 patients with mucositis affecting one or more implants (23 implants). After treatment with the probiotic, both the patients with mucositis and the patients without peri-implant disease showed improvements in the clinical parameters, with reductions in cytokine levels. In contrast, no such changes were observed with placebo. CONCLUSIONS: After treatment with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri in patients with implants presenting mucositis, the clinical parameters improved, and the cytokine levels decreased - in contraposition to the observations in the placebo group. Probiotic administration may be regarded as a good alternative for both the treatment of peri-implant mucositis and its prevention, as it also improved clinical parameters in the healthy individuals. Further studies involving larger patient series are needed regarding the effects of probiotics upon peri-implant health.

Influence of implant neck design and implant-abutment connection type on peri-implant health. Radiological study.

OBJECTIVE: To carry out a comparative study of two implants with different neck features and prostheses platform connection (machined with external connection and rough-surfaced with switching platform) upon peri-implant marginal bone loss, before and after functional loading. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomized, prospective radiological study was made. Eighteen totally edentulous patients were selected. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the type of implant neck used: (a) Osseous(®), with machined surface, without microthreads, external connection, and without platform switching; and (b) Inhex(®), with treated surface, microthreads, internal connection, and platform switching. Mesial and distal marginal bone loss was measured. Implant success was assessed according to the criteria of Buser. Control timepoints were as follows: (a) at implant placement; (b) at prosthesis placement; (c) 6 months after loading; (d) 12 months after loading. RESULTS: Fifteen patients that received 120 dental implants were included: 47% Osseous(®) group and 53% Inhex(®) group. Global mean marginal bone loss with Osseous(®) was 0.27 ± 0.43 mm and 0.38 ± 0.51 mm as determined 6 and 12 months after prosthetic loading, respectively, whereas in the case of Inhex(®) was 0.07 ± 0.13 and 0.12 ± 0.17 mm. These differences were statistically significant (P = 0.047). Difference between Osseous(®) and Inhex(®) in maxilla (P = 0.272) and mandibular (P = 0.462) bone loss were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Bone loss after 6 and 12 months proved statistically significant between two groups, with comparatively greater loss in the case of Osseous(®) implants vs. Inhex(®) implants. Regardless the heterogeneity of the two groups (neck shape, microthreads, surface texture), the implant-abutment connection appears to be a significant factor on peri-implant crestal bone levels. Anyway, in both groups, the values obtained were within normal ranges described in the literature.

Bone necrosis around dental implants: A patient treated with oral bisphosphonates, drug holiday and no risk according to serum CTX.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) may appear following certain oral surgery procedures in patients treated with oral bisphosphonates (OB). Guidelines for the treatment of these patients were set out in the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) Position Paper on Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of The Jaws (Position Paper) and Approved by the Board of Trustees in September 2006. For the AAOMS the placement of implants in these patients is not contraindicated. In addition, the serum C-terminal telopeptide bone suppressor marker (CTX) test is available to determine the risk of ONJ. A case is presented of ONJ in a patient with 6 months of OB discontinuation ("drug holiday") before dental implant placement (following the guidelines of the AAOMS) and with no risk of osteonecrosis according to the serum CTX value (340 pg/ml). The wound healed favorably with complete healing at 7 months. In this case, the serum CTX test must be questioned as to its predictive value of ONJ, and more reliable markers of this risk are needed. Key words:Bisphosphonates, dental implants, bone necrosis, serum CTX.

Analysis of the peri-implant microbiota in 90 dental implants and its relationship to crevicular fluid volume.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence within the peri-implant sulcus of Tannerela forsythia (Tf), Porphyromonas gingivales (Pg), Treponema denticola (Td) and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), and relate these bacteria to the peri-implant crevicular fluid volume (PICFV). MATERIAL AND METHOD: A prospective and cross-sectional clinical case series study was made. For the measurement of crevicular fluid, use was made of the Periotron® 8000 (Proflow Incorporated. New York, USA), measuring the volume in Periotron units (PU). For the detection of periodontopathogenic bacteria we used the IAI-PadoTest 4.5 (IAI Inc., IAI Institute, Zuchwil, Switzerland) - a system for the detection of Tf, Pg, Td and Aa based on the use of RNA arrays. RESULTS: We included 34 patients (19 females and 15 males) with a mean age of 56.4 years. Of these subjects, 30.8% were smokers and 69.2% non-smokers. Out of a total series of 213 implants, we analyzed the crevicular fluid and microbiota in 90 implants. A total of 16.5% of the implants presented mucositis, while 83.5% were in healthy peri-implant conditions. The microbiological study revealed the presence of Tf in 17.1% of the implants, Pg in 9.3%, Td in 13.6%, in Aa in none of the implants. The mean Periotron reading was 93.4 PU (range 12-198 PU). A statistically significant (p<0.05) relationship was observed between PICFV and the total percentage bacteria (Tf, Pg and Td) - with a strong association between the Td levels and smoking (p<0.01). In the implants with mucositis, the concentration of Pg and Td was greater. CONCLUSIONS: In the implants studied, the subgingival peri-implant microbiota was characterized by low levels of Pg, Tf, Td, and none of the patients proved positive for Aa. These bacteria showed a positive correlation to crevicular fluid volume, and a statistically significant relationship was observed between Td and smoking.