*The Dental Implant Maintenance DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101187*



#### **Table 3.**

*Lists the different systemic conditions that can pose as a risk factor for implant placement.*

implant complications compared to non-periodontal treated patients [40–42]. Hence, to achieve long-term implant survival and success, patients with a previous history of aggressive periodontitis must undergo Supportive Periodontal Therapy (SPT) and diligently follow the regular maintenance phase and recall visits.

A typical maintenance phase should last for 1 h and should be scheduled every 3 months. The following are the parameters that are evaluated during the assessment phase of the implant maintenance protocol.

#### *3.1.1 Peri-implant diagnostic parameters*

The diagnostic parameters used to evaluate and monitor oral implants during the maintenance phase should have high specificity and sensitivity. We shall discuss the various peri-implant diagnostic parameters with modified dental indices that will be used during the assessment phase.

#### *3.1.1.1 Plaque and mucosal assessment*

Mombelli et al. [43] and Apse et al. [44] modified the plaque and mucosal assessment indices for peri-implant marginal mucosa and plaque evaluation (**Table 4**).

#### *3.1.1.2 Peri-implant bleeding on probing*

Similar to natural teeth conditions, the absence of bleeding on probing around peri-implant mucosa suggests a healthy implant soft tissue. In a study conducted by Lang et al. [45], it was concluded that healthy peri-implant sites were characterized


**Table 4.**

*Peri-implant plaque and mucosal indices.*

by absence of bleeding on probing i.e. 0% whereas peri-implant mucositis reported 67% and peri-implantitis reported 91% of bleeding on probing. To avoid false-positive readings for bleeding on probing, Gerber et al. have recommended a minimum pressure of 0.15 N to be applied during the examination [46].
