The dog as a model for peri-implantitis: A review

To analyze the current available experimental canine models for peri-implantitis.

Electronic databases of the PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Cochrane Library were searched for dog studies on peri-implantitis induction methodology, until October 31, 2012. The eligibility of the studies for this review was based on the screening of two independent reviewers.

After screening, 50 publications were eligible for review. The most used animal model was the Beagle (n = 23). The bilateral mandible four premolar were the most extracted group of teeth (n = 20) and the majority of the studies had the placement of six implants in the jaw with only five (n = 5) of them reporting on interimplant distance. All publications reported peri-implantitis induction using ligature during a variable period of time and with a subsequent heterogeneous loss of peri-implant bone. The ligature placement and maintenance around the implant varied greatly between the publications. The constant use of ligatures, sometimes traumatically forced to the peri-implant sulcus, may influence the degree of bone loss during canine experimental peri-implantitis overlapping the contribution of implant surface to the onset and development of this pathology.

A great heterogeneity exists among the studies reporting on the induction of peri-implantitis in canine. Experimental peri-implantitis model has suffered a change through the last years, from an exclusive ligature-induced to a ligature-induced and nonligature induced progression, thus approaching the natural occurrence of this pathology. The ideal canine peri-implantitis induction model would be a naturally occurring peri-implanititis induction without the action of any ligature.