Bone loss around implants quite common

LEIPZIG, Germany: Bone loss around dental implants is far more common than previously realised, a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has revealed. The study, which analysed X-rays of over 600 implant patients, found that about one quarter had lost some degree of supporting bone around their implants.

The more implants a patient had in the jaw, the more common it was to find loss of supporting bone, the study also found.

“Contrary to what we had previously assumed, the bone loss in these patients was not linear, but instead accelerated with time,” consultant dental surgeon and author of the thesis Dr Christer Fransson explained. “This is a new discovery that shows just how important it is to detect and treat bone loss around implants at an early stage.”

Bone loss, also known as peri-implantitis, is one of the main reasons for dental implant failure. It can be triggered by smoking or systematic diseases such as diabetes.

The study also showed that the soft tissues surrounding an implant with bone loss is often inflamed. “It’s important to examine the tissues around implants in the same way as we examine the tissues around teeth,” says Dr Fransson. “In that way we can notice early signs of inflammation and treat it before the bone loss has any serious consequences.”