Conclusions and clinical implications
PD, peri-implantitis, bone loss, pain
INFLAMMATION, ARREST, BONE LOSS
The observations reported indicate that ultrasonic/curette subgingival instrumentation with and without erythritol air-polishing support clinical improvements. Over a 12-month period, both treatments prevented further bone loss, but did not adequately arrest inflammation. Thus, neither treatment approach effectively resolves peri-implantitis. A significant inter-treatment difference in PD was observed in favor of ultrasonic/curette instrumentation over 12 months. Following instrumentation, less discomfort and pain were reported in the control group. Future RCTs based on more powerful datasets and with longer follow-up periods are needed to draw clear conclusion about the efficiency of erythritol air-polishing alone or in combination with other non-surgical therapies. Moreover, in advance identification of potential patients characteristics increasing the probability of successful non-surgical peri-implantitis therapy, would be of immense importance. Overall, the results highlight a demand for effective non-surgical protocols for decontamination of dental implants diagnosed with peri-implantitis and that surgical management might be indicated for a significant number of peri-implantitis patients.