Turned surface implants in patients treated for periodontitis: Preliminary 10- to 20-year results of a long-term cohort study.

PURPOSE: This long-term cohort study investigated the prevalence of mucositis, peri-implantitis, bone loss and survival of turned surface implants in partially edentulous patients treated for periodontitis.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

19 patients treated for generalised chronic periodontitis (GCP) and 20 patients treated for generalised aggressive periodontitis (GAP) were orally rehabilitated with a total of 126 dental implants. Examinations were performed before implant insertion, at the time of superstructure insertion, and in the subsequent years during a 3-month recall schedule over a 10- to 20-year period. At every session, clinical parameters were recorded. Intraoral radiographs were taken after insertion of superstructures and 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 years later.

RESULTS

In total, nine implants were lost during the 20-year observation period. The implant survival rate was 92.1% (GCP patients) and 90.1% (GAP patients). After 10 years, mucositis was present in 21.9% and 21.2% of implants in GCP and GAP patients, respectively. The risk of mucositis was significantly lower in patients with a removable superstructure (OR = 0.061 with P = 0.001). Peri-implantitis was present in 12.2% implants (GCP patients) and 14.1% implants (GAP patients). Implants inserted in bone quality grade 3 showed a significantly higher risk of peri-implantitis (OR = 5.658 with P = 0.003). After 10 years, implants in GAP patients did not show a significant higher bone loss (1.87 ± 1.40 mm) compared with implants in GCP patients (1.50 ± 1.30 mm). After 20 years, the total mean peri-implant bone loss was 1.98 ± 1.64 mm, almost every fifth implant revealed a bone loss > 3 mm.

CONCLUSIONS

The implant survival rate in both patient groups was > 90%, and implants showed a moderate mucositis (< 30%) and peri-implantitis (< 25%) rate. Bone quality and type of superstructure seem to have had an influence on peri-implant health. These results suggest that patients with a history of periodontitis treated in a tight recall schedule can be successfully rehabilitated with turned surface implants for a follow-up period of 10 to 20 years.