Preventive peri-implant maintenance: a key to success

Abstract

Diligent and precise surgical and prosthetic procedures are critical to the success of implant therapy, but maintenance of implants may be of equal importance on ensuring a long-term, favourable prognosis. The dental professional's responsibility in providing supportive therapy and education in maintaining dental implants is crucial. The primary responsibility of the clinician treating a patient with implant dentistry is to provide a long-term successful prognosis. Due to the recent developments in implant materials and restorative designs, familiarity with the relationship of the peri-implant tissues to the implant components is essential. Maintaining healthy tissues requires understanding the influence of the intra-oral bacterial flora, recognizing deviations from health and initiating an appropriate preventive protocol. The aim of this article is to introduce one of the best preventive peri-implant protocols called cumulative interceptive support therapy (CIST) and secondly, to highlight the roles of patient, hygienist and clinician for a successful implant aintenance, it is hoped that this article will help general and specialized dental practitioners to improve their quality of dental implant service, for a better quality care of their patients.