Diagnosis
Inflammation on a dental implant can be diagnosed by probing the gums and an X-ray. Both should be done by a dentist, which makes an appointment with him/her unavoidable. Without a professional examination, no reliable diagnosis can be made.
By carefully probing with a periodontal probe, the dentist moves along the gumline of the implant and checks for inflammation in this area. If this is the case, an x-ray image is taken, which can clearly confirm the suspected diagnosis. A distinction is again made between peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis. By measuring the probing depths and evaluating the X-ray image, the dentist can differentiate between the two clinical pictures.
What can you see on the X-ray?
An x-ray can be taken to determine whether bone resorption has occurred in the area of the implant. It can be extremely helpful to compare current x-rays with older ones to better identify changes in this area. The x-ray image can be used to verify horizontal and vertical bone resorption and to show the severity of bone loss.The more advanced peri-implant bone resorption is, the larger the bone defects are in the X-ray image.
Frequency
The frequency of inflammation on dental implants is very difficult to predict in general. However, current data indicate that peri-implant mucositis occurs in up to 43% of patients and peri-implantitis in about 22%. However, the data are difficult to collect because the proportion of patients with healthy peri-implant conditions has not been determined exactly. Nevertheless, it is possible to see the importance of proper implant and oral care to minimize inflammation in this area and prevent loss of the implant.
These symptoms may indicate inflammation of the dental implant
As already mentioned, only the dentist himself can confirm the diagnosis of periimplantitis. Therefore, regular check-ups at the dentist are the best protection against inflammation. However, there are symptoms that indicate peri-implant mucositis/peri-implantitis that you can detect yourself.
- For example, you can perform a detailed inspection with your eye, looking for plaque in the area of the implant.
- You may also notice spontaneous bleeding and secretion of pus, which are considered indications. These can also be provoked by careful touching with the finger, which would not be the case under healthy conditions.
- There may also be a slight touch pain in this area, although some patients perceive it less than others.
- In the advanced stage of periimplantitis, gum recession also occurs, which can make the implant surface visible.
- Often a sweetish bad breath is noticeable, which can be caused by the inflammation.