Peri-Implantitis

Peri-implantitis is a disease very similar to peridontitis or periodontal disease, except in this case it affects the tissues surrounding implants. It is true that cavities cannot occur in implants, but the tissues, mucosa and bone that surround them can suffer from a form of pyorrhoea known as peri-implantitis.

In light of this, research is showing an increasing demand to perform gum treatment in patients with their natural teeth, before the need to fit dental implants. During this infectious process, the surface of the implant exposed to bacteria is contaminated and, from there, is slowly rejected by the alveolar bone, which slowly but continuously retracts.

Our objective in periodontal treatment is to disinfect the periodontal pockets that form on the tissues surrounding the teeth and to remove the build-up of dental calculus (also known as tartar) from around the gums.

Now, the evolution of laser technology has enabled dental products manufacturer Kavo to develop the Erbium-Yag KEY laser with feedback system. This system comprises two separate lasers: a diagnostic diode laser and a therapeutic Erbium-Yag laser.

The KEY laser system offers a treatment that is less invasive and more comfortable for the patient. It consists of inserting a fibre into the pocket between the gum and the tooth, through which the diode laser detection system picks up fluorescent signals from the subgingival calculus. Once these signals are received, a command is sent and activates the Erbium-Yag laser, emitting a micropulse that destroys any concretions and helps disinfect the periodontal pocket.

Thanks to its effective sterilisation capabilities, this technology is now being applied to new fields, such as the treatment of peri-implantitis.

This type of technology presents a new, alternative treatment that enables the operator, in this case during the surgical treatment of peri-implantitis, to vastly improve the disinfection of exposed titanium walls, creating new hope for the treatment of these problems.