Combined surgical therapy of advanced peri‐implantitis evaluating two methods of surface decontamination: a 7‐year follow‐up observation

Objectives To assess the long‐term outcomes (>4 years) following combined surgical resective/regenerative therapy of advanced peri‐implantitis lesions using two surface decontamination methods. Material & Methods Fifteen patients (n = 15 combined supra‐ and intrabony defects) completed a follow‐up observation period of 7 years. The treatment procedure included access flap surgery, granulation tissue removal and implantoplasty at buccally and supracrestally exposed implant parts, and a randomly assigned decontamination of the unmodified intrabony implant surface areas using either (i) an Er:YAG laser (ERL) or (ii) plastic curettes + cotton pellets + sterile saline (CPS). Intrabony defects were filled using a natural bone mineral and covered by a native collagen membrane. Results At 7 years, both ERL and CPS were associated with similar mean bleeding on probing reductions (CPS: 89.99 ± 11.65% versus ERL: 86.66 ± 18.26%) and clinical attachment level gains (CPS: 2.76 ± 1.92 mm versus ERL: 2.06 ± 2.52 mm). Conclusion Combined surgical resective/regenerative therapy of advanced peri‐implantitis was effective on the long‐term, but not influenced by the initial method of surface decontamination.