Air-polishing in the Treatment of Peri-implantitis

Air-polishing in the Treatment of Peri-implantitis - a Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the potential benefit of the adjunctive use of an air-polishing device in the non-surgical treatment of peri-implantitis as compared to mechanical infection control alone. Following establishment of adequate patient-performed infection control, 80 patients diagnosed with moderate/severe peri-implantitis at ≥1 implant will be randomized to one of two groups. Non-surgical will be carried out by experienced operators in three clinical centers and the mechanical instrumentation (control group) will be supplemented by the use of air-polishing with erythritol powder (AirFlow Master, EMS, Nyon, Switzerland) in the test group. The primary outcome assessed is "pocket closure" (ie probing pocket depth ≤5 mm & absence of profuse bleeding on probing) after 6 months. Secondary outcomes include changes of clinical signs of soft tissue inflammation, adverse events and patient-reported outcome measures. Outcomes of non-surgical therapy will be evaluated at 3 and 6 months. Sites with remaining pathology at 6 months will be subjected to surgical therapy. Patients are then provided with personalized maintenance care and followed up to a 5-year evaluation.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Peri-Implantitis
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Mechanical decontamination; Procedure: Air-polishing

Detailed Description

The project will be conducted as a two-armed randomized controlled clinical trial of 5-year duration in three clinical centers. 80 systemically healthy patients diagnosed with moderate/severe peri-implantitis at ≥1 implant will be enrolled.

Upon enrolment, all patients will receive instructions in oral hygiene measures until adequate plaque control has been established (Plaque Index ≤20%). If required, supraconstructions will be adjusted to facilitate adequate oral hygiene measures. Thereafter, study participants will be randomized into two groups, stratified for smoking (yes/no) and number of implants in need of treatment (single/multiple).

The control group will be subjected to professionally administered non-surgical, mechanical infection control including the use of hand instruments and polishing cups aiming at the removal of all supra-mucosal soft and hard deposits from the target sites. In the test group the aforementioned treatment will be supplemented by the use of an air-polishing device (AirFlow Master, EMS, Nyon, Switzerland) with a specially designed nozzle for sub-mucosal application (PerioFlow Handpiece, EMS, Nyon, Switzerland). Following local anesthesia, the instrument will be used sub-mucosally at all aspects (ie mesial, distal, buccal, lingual) of the affected implant(s) at a power setting reduced to 60% and with a erythritol powder (14 mikrometer, AirFlow Plus Powder, EMS, Nyon, Switzerland). The handpiece will be guided in a circular motion in a corono-apical direction not in contact with the implant surface. Instrumentation time will be limited to 5 seconds at each aspect. Implant-supported supraconstructions will not be removed for the non-surgical treatment. Patients are recalled two weeks later for assessment of patient-experienced outcomes, professional supramucosal cleaning and reinforcement of oral hygiene.

Peri-implant soft tissues will be evaluated at three months. Implant sites with remaining signs of pathology (PPD ≥6 mm and presence of BOP at ≥3 aspects per implant will be subjected to re-treatment according to the initial allocation. The clinical evaluation will be repeated at 6 months. In case of residual signs of pathology, affected sites will be subjected to surgical therapy of peri-implantitis within the subsequent 4 weeks. Full thickness flaps will be elevated and inflamed tissues will be removed. Mineralized deposits on the implant surfaces will be removed with titanium-coated curettes. Surface decontamination will be performed using a rotating titanium brush under irrigation with saline. No bone recontouring of bony walls is intended. Flaps will be sutured to the level of the bone and sutures will be removed after 2 weeks. Implant-supported supraconstructions will be removed for the surgical intervention, if possible.

Maintenance therapy will be provided at 9 and 12 months and based on individual needs during the subsequent follow-up. A renewed evaluation will be performed at 12 and 18 months. Long-term assessments will be carried out annually from years 3 to 5. Should any implant site present with signs of disease progression (increase of PPD >2 mm and additional bone loss >1 mm compared to baseline) at any of the follow-up examinations, the implant will be exited from the study and appropriate additional therapy will be provided.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Sweden
  • Göteborg, Sweden, 40530
    • Department of Periodontology, Institute of Odontology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Probing pocket depth of ≥6 mm
• Bleeding and/or suppuration on probing at ≥3 aspects per implant
• Documented radiographic bone loss of ≥2 mm.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Implants with bone loss ≥80% of implant length will not be considered.
• No medical conditions prohibiting non-surgical/surgical treatment of peri-implantitis
• Implant(s) in function ≥1 year

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Control - Mechanical instrumentation of implant surface; The control group will be subjected to non-surgical decontamination including the use of hand instruments and polishing cups aiming at the removal of all supra-mucosal soft and hard deposits from the implant surfaces.	Procedure: Mechanical decontamination; Mechanical instrumentation of implant surfaces during non-surgical therapy (at baseline and, if necesarry at 3 months) including the use of hand instruments and polishing cups aiming at the removal of all soft and hard deposits from the target implant.
Experimental: Test - Mechanical instrumentation and air-polishing of implant surface; In the test group the mechanical instrumentation will be supplemented by the use of an air-polishing device during non-surgical therapy.	Procedure: Mechanical decontamination; Mechanical instrumentation of implant surfaces during non-surgical therapy (at baseline and, if necesarry at 3 months) including the use of hand instruments and polishing cups aiming at the removal of all soft and hard deposits from the target implant.; Procedure: Air-polishing; Air-polishing with erythritol powder during non-surgical therapy (at baseline, 5 seconds per surface, and, if necessary, at 3 months).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Proportion of participants/implants displaying pocket closure	Pocket closure: Probing pocket depth of ≤5 mm and absence of bleeding on probing at ≥3 aspects per implant and absence of suppuration on probing	3 months
Proportion of participants/implants displaying pocket closure	Pocket closure: Probing pocket depth of ≤5 mm and absence of bleeding on probing at ≥3 aspects per implant and absence of suppuration on probing	6 months
Proportion of participants/implants displaying pocket closure	Pocket closure: Probing pocket depth of ≤5 mm and absence of bleeding on probing at ≥3 aspects per implant and absence of suppuration on probing	18 months
Patient satisfaction assessed by visual analogue scale	Patient satisfaction as assessed on a 100 mm VAS	3 months
Patient satisfaction assessed by visual analogue scale	Patient satisfaction as assessed on a 100 mm VAS	6 months
Patient satisfaction assessed by visual analogue scale	Patient satisfaction as assessed on a 100 mm VAS	18 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in probing pocket depth	Reductions in PPD relative to baseline	3 months
Changes in probing pocket depth	Reductions in PPD relative to baseline	6 months
Changes in probing pocket depth	Reductions in PPD relative to baseline	18 months
Changes in probing pocket depth	Reductions in PPD relative to baseline	3 years
Changes in probing pocket depth	Reductions in PPD relative to baseline	4 years
Changes in probing pocket depth	Reductions in PPD relative to baseline	5 years
Changes in bleeding on probing	Reductions in BOP relative to baseline	3 months
Changes in bleeding on probing	Reductions in BOP relative to baseline	6 months
Changes in bleeding on probing	Reductions in BOP relative to baseline	18 months
Changes in bleeding on probing	Reductions in BOP relative to baseline	3 years
Changes in bleeding on probing	Reductions in BOP relative to baseline	4 years
Changes in bleeding on probing	Reductions in BOP relative to baseline	5 years
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels	Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline	3 months
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels	Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline	6 months
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels	Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline	18 months
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels	Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline	3 years
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels	Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline	4 years
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels	Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline	5 years
Changes in radiographic bone levels	Changes in radiographic bone levels relative to baseline	6 months
Changes in radiographic bone levels	Changes in radiographic bone levels relative to baseline	18 months
Changes in radiographic bone levels	Changes in radiographic bone levels relative to baseline	3 years
Changes in radiographic bone levels	Changes in radiographic bone levels relative to baseline	5 years
Rate of adverse events	Emphysema	3 months
Rate of adverse events	Emphysema	6 months
Rate of adverse events	Emphysema	18 months
Patient discomfort as expressed on a visual analogue scale	Patient discomfort 2 weeks after non-surgical treatment as expressed on a 100 mm VAS	3.5 months
Patient discomfort as expressed on a visual analogue scale	Patient discomfort 2 weeks after surgical treatment as expressed on a 100 mm VAS	6.5 months
Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a visual analogue scale	Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a 100 mm VAS	3 months
Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a visual analogue scale	Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a 100 mm VAS	6 months
Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a visual analogue scale	Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a 100 mm VAS	18 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Göteborg University
• Investigators: Study Director: Kostas Bougas, PhD, Göteborg University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 14, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 7, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 12, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): April 19, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 11, 2025
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Surgical therapy; Non-surgical therapy; Air polishing; Air abrasives
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Periodontal Diseases; Mouth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Peri-Implantitis
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2021-00169

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No