Treating Peri-Implantitis with βTCP Air Abrasion

Peri-implantitis is a common cause of implant loss. Unfortunately, we do not have an effective, predictable method for treating this disease. In the case of immediate implants, when using our Immediate Graft™, we have an effective and predictable way of growing bone that fills the defect and integrates to the implant surface. So why is it not possible to treat the same type of defect caused by peri-implantitis?

Simple. It’s due to the inability to properly clean the implant surface. It is not effective to just remove cement, calculus, and bacteria. Bone will not grow in an inflammatory environment and will not mineralize a surface that harbors any foreign biological compounds. If an implant surface can be thoroughly cleaned, peri-implantitis should be as treatable as any defect adjacent to an immediate implant. To date, air abrasion has been shown to be the most effective method of cleaning an implant surface. Abrasive powders used to clean implant surfaces are known to bond to the implant surface and the powder then becomes another foreign material that impedes bone growth and integration. In order to produce a surface that is clean and biocompatible but also promotes mineralization, we have produced an abrasive powder made from our OsseoConduct™ βTCP bone graft granules. Unlike other abrasives, our material is cleared by the FDA for bone regeneration.