Does residual cement around implant-supported restorations cause peri-implant disease? A retrospective case analysis

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between patients with a history of periodontitis and development of cement-related peri-implant disease.

Seventy-seven patients with 129 implants for this retrospective analysis were selected from completed implant cases that were scheduled for regular maintenance or had experienced mechanical or biological complications between years 2006 and 2011 in private practice. Implants with extracoronal residual cement and implants without cement remnants were analyzed. The selected cases were further divided into two groups--implants in patients with history of periodontitis (1) and implants in periodontitis-free individuals (2). The selection of these groups was made on the basis of treatment history and orthopantomograph. As a control group, a set of 238 screw-retained implant restorations, delivered to 66 patients during the same period of time was examined. The incidence of peri-implant disease among implants in all groups was calculated.

Peri-implant disease was evident in 62 of 73 implants with cement remnants (85%). All implants in group 1 developed peri-implantitis--4 early and 35 delayed disease cases. In the periodontally healthy group, 20 of 31 implants were diagnosed with peri-implant mucositis, 3 implants had early peri-implantitis, and 11 implants with cement remnants did not develop biological complications. In the group of implants without cement remnants, peri-implant disease was diagnosed in 17 of 56 cases (30%). In contrast, only two occurrences of peri-implant disease were registered in the control group of screw-retained restorations (1.08%).

Implants with cement remnants in patients with history of periodontitis may be more likely to develop peri-implantitis, compared with patients without history of periodontal infection.