The diagnosis of peri-implantitis is usually made on the basis of the patient’s medical history, clinical course and physical examination. Further medical device diagnostics may be required for differential diagnosis.
Obligatory medical device diagnostics
- Radiographs
- Especially dental film recording in parallel technique
- Panoramic slice image (synonyms: orthopantomogram, OPG) Cave: lower resolution, eccentric imaging in premolar region (anterior molar/premolar region), low slice thickness in anterior region).
Optional medical device diagnostics.
- Computed tomography (CT)
- (Caveat: radiation exposure)
- Digital volume tomography (DVT) – radiological imaging procedure that shows the anatomy of the teeth, jaws and facial skull in three dimensions.
- (rarely used for peri-implantitis diagnostics).
- Periotest (tooth/implant mobility analysis) – device that allows to measure the mobility of teeth or implants in the jawbone. It allows an objective assessment of the condition of bone or periodontium (periodontium).
Radiological features of peri-implantitis
- Widening of the peri-implant gap
- Bone resorption
- Horizontal (height reduction)
- vertical (side reduction, bone pockets)
- Bowl-shaped
- Funnel-shaped
- Gap-shaped
