Salivary Titanium Level as a Non-invasive Biomarker for Peri-Implantitis: A Prospective Study

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Biomaterials Science
• Dental Implantology

Background:

• Dental implants, typically titanium, offer biocompatibility and stability for tooth replacement.
• Titanium release into saliva may indicate implant corrosion and peri-implant disease.
• Peri-implantitis is a significant concern affecting long-term implant success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate salivary titanium ion levels in patients with healthy implants versus peri-implantitis one year post-placement.
• To assess the relationship between salivary titanium levels and clinical parameters of peri-implant health.
• To explore salivary titanium as a potential non-invasive biomarker for peri-implantitis.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 30 patients with single titanium implants.
• Saliva samples were collected at 12 months and analyzed for titanium concentration using ICP-MS.
• Clinical parameters (probing depth, marginal bone loss) were recorded and compared across control, healthy implant, and peri-implantitis groups.

Main Results:

• Salivary titanium levels were significantly higher in patients with peri-implantitis (235.3 ± 17.94 µg/L) compared to healthy implants (127 ± 13.32 µg/L) and controls (3.3 ± 1.49 µg/L).
• Probing depth and marginal bone loss showed a similar increasing trend with disease severity.
• All measured parameters demonstrated statistically significant differences across the groups (p = 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Salivary titanium ion concentration is a reliable indicator of peri-implant disease progression.
• Elevated salivary titanium correlates with clinical signs of inflammation and bone resorption.
• Monitoring salivary titanium may serve as an early diagnostic tool for peri-implantitis, improving treatment outcomes.