title: The Key Points of Maintenance Therapy for Dental Implants: A Literature Review.
abstract: Dental implants require lifelong maintenance and care. Success is defined by biologic factors (presence of inflamed soft tissues surrounding dental implants and radiographic changes in the crestal bone levels) and mechanical factors (stability of the implant fixture and implant supported restoration, etc). Most implant failures are initiated by incipient stages of inflammatory processes, which lead to peri-mucositis and peri-implantitis. The evidence regarding the value of maintenance protocol regarding implants is sparse compared with the one for teeth. This article addresses the existing literature on processes for oral hygiene for implant care.
authors.affiliation: General Dentist, Vocational Training Program, University Hospital Ljubljana Dental Hospital, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Miha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirc
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontology, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Irina F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Dragan
mesh_terms: D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003729:Dental Care; D015921:Dental Implants; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D006801:Humans; D052016:Mucositis / Q000517:prevention & control; D009910:Oral Hygiene
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants