Impact of the method of surface debridement and decontamination on the clinical outcome following combined surgical therapy of peri-implantitis: a randomized controlled clinical study.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed at investigating the impact of two surface debridement/decontamination (DD) methods on the clinical outcomes of combined surgical treatment of peri-implantitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients suffering from advanced peri-implantitis (n=38 combined supra- and intra-bony defects) were treated with flap surgery, granulation tissue removal, and implantoplasty at buccally and supracrestally exposed implant parts. The intra-bony aspects were randomly allocated to surface DD using either (i) an Er:YAG laser (ERL) device, or (ii) plastic curets+cotton pellets+sterile saline (CPS). In both groups, the intra-bony component was augmented with a natural bone mineral and covered with a collagen membrane. Clinical and radiographic parameters were recorded at baseline and after 6 months of non-submerged healing.

RESULTS: Two patients were lost during follow-up. At 6 months, ERL-treated sites failed to reveal higher reductions in mean bleeding on probing (ERL: 47.8 ± 35.5 versus CPS: 55.0 ± 31.1%) and CAL values (ERL: 1.5 ± 1.4 versus CPS: 2.2 ± 1.4 mm) when compared with the CPS group. Both groups exhibited a comparable radiographic bone fill at the intra-bony defect component.

CONCLUSION: The study failed to demonstrate a significant impact of the method of surface DD on the clinical outcome following combined surgical therapy of advanced peri-implantitis lesions.