Implant complications have become a major challenge for many dentists who placed implants. This lecture is designed to help dentists who placed or restored implant understand what’s new in this field and how to avoid these problems. New definitions such as plaque induced peri-implantitis and non-plaque associated peri-implant diseases as well as treatment prognosis of peri-implant diseases will be presented. Recent research findings of how surface coating or the titanium particles influence the incidence of implant complications will be discussed. In addition, this lecture will provide the mechanisms (e.g., surgically triggered, prosthetically triggered and biological induced implant complications) of how implant bone loss and implant failure occurred. Specifically, how to manage implant esthetic, biological, biomechanical complications will be demonstrated. Three decision trees (implant biological complication management, implant treatment based upon defect morphology and implant soft tissue recession classification and proposed management) will be proposed. The treatments for implant diseases/complications include: chemotherapeutic agents, lasers de-contamination, apically positioned flap with or without implantoplasty, implant surface detoxification, lasers, guided bone regeneration, soft tissue grafts, implant removal as well as re-implantation will be thoroughly discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize potential etiologies that contribute to different implant complications.
• Learn how to prevent future implant complications.
• Know how to select proper treatment for different implant complications, both soft and hard tissues or even retrieval of failed implants.
• Learn how to perform implantoplasty, guided bone regeneration and soft tissue graft around peri-implant disease defects.
  
• Familiarize yourself with dental lasers as well as other detoxifying agents.