Background: Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory condition that can lead to implant loss. The aim of this descriptive retrospective study is to describe the histopathologic findings in soft tissue biopsies of implants with peri-implantitis.
Methods: Thirty-six human peri-implantitis biopsies were analyzed using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composition of foreign materials found in the tissues was assessed using an energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer.
Results: At the LM level, the inflammatory lesion of peri-implantitis was in most cases a mixture of subacute and chronic inflammation dominated by plasma cells. At the SEM level, radiopaque foreign bodies were identified in 34 of the 36 biopsies. The predominant foreign bodies found were titanium and dental cement. These foreign materials were surrounded by inflammatory cells.
Conclusions: At present, the exact mechanism for introduction of these materials and their role in peri-implantitis is unknown. Further research is warranted to determine their etiology and potential role in pathogenesis.
Keywords: Dental cements; dental implants; microscopy, electron, scanning; pathology, oral; peri-implantitis; titanium.