LAUSR

OBJECTIVES To compare erythritol air polishing with implant surface cleansing using saline during the surgical treatment of peri-implantitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS During a resective surgical intervention, implant surfaces were randomly treated with either air polishing (test group n= 26 patients/53 implants) or saline-soaked cotton gauzes (control group n= 31 patients/ 40 implants). Primary outcome was change in mean bleeding on probing (BoP) from baseline to 12 months follow-up. Secondary outcomes were changes in mean suppuration on probing (SoP), plaque score (Plq), probing pocket depth (PPD), marginal bone loss (MBL), periodontal full mouth scores (PFMS) and levels of 8 classical periodontal pathogens. Clinical and radiographical parameters were analyzed using multilevel regression analyses. Microbiological outcomes were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS No differences between the test and control group were found for BoP over 12 months of follow-up, nor for the secondary parameters Plq, PPD and MBL. Between both groups, a significant difference was found for the levels of SoP (p = 0.035). No significant effect on microbiological levels was found. A total number of 6 implants were lost in the test group and 10 in the control group. At 1-year follow-up, a successful treatment outcome (PPD<5mm, max 1 out of 6 sites BoP, no suppuration and no progressive bone loss >0.5mm) was achieved for a total of 18 implants (19.2%). CONCLUSIONS Erythritol air polishing as implant surface cleansing method was not more effective than saline during resective surgical treatment of peri-implantitis in terms of clinical, radiographical and microbiological parameters. Both therapies resulted in low treatment success.