Is one visit to the dentist per year enough if you have implants?

23.05.2024

PD Dr. Kristina Bertl, PhD MSc MBA

How often should patients with implant restorations visit for a check-up and professional oral hygiene? Is one visit per year enough, or should the recommendation be for more regular check-ups?

This question was investigated by a Spanish research group who looked at several factors and their possible contribution to the occurrence of peri-implant diseases (Leone et al. 2024). They studied a total of 86 patients with dental implants, all of whom were non-smokers and had an implant restoration for around 10 years. They divided these 86 patients into two groups based on how frequently they visited the dentist for check-ups:

Group 1: Patients with good compliance, who attended a check-up at least twice a year
Group 2: Patients with inadequate compliance, who attended a check-up a maximum of once a year

Is one visit to the dentist per year enough if you have implants?

The results relating to peri-implant diseases were very interesting and, above all, very clear:

Patients in group 2 had an 88% higher risk of peri-implant disease.
For patients in group 2, the risk of peri-implantitis was around five times higher!
Every third patient in group 2 was diagnosed with peri-implantitis and just 4% of the patients in group 2 had good peri-implant health.
Patients in group 1 exhibited a considerably lower prevalence of peri-implantitis (9%), but nonetheless had a very high rate of peri-implant mucositis (66%).
At patient level, a history of periodontitis also proved to be a significant risk factor for peri-implant disease.
At implant level, the following factors proved to be significant risk factors for peri-implant diseases: 1) a hard-to-clean prosthetic design, 2) high plaque values and 3) a longer time period since implant installation.
Furthermore, a narrower width of the keratinized mucosa and a flatter oral vestibule contributed to significantly higher plaque values.

The data from this study therefore backs up earlier studies and shows once again how important it is to have regular supportive implant therapy and a high level of compliance from patients. To be able to effectively prevent the occurrence of peri-implant disease, one visit to the dentist per year does not appear to be sufficient in a great many cases. For this reason, a minimum of two visits per year for a check-up and professional oral hygiene should probably be recommended after the patient has received their implant-supported restoration. Nonetheless, peri-implant mucositis is a common problem.

Reference

Leone FD, Blasi G, Amerio E, Valles C, Nart J, Monje A. Influence of the level of compliance with preventive maintenance therapy upon the prevalence of peri-implant diseases. J Periodontol. 2024;95:40–49.