An interventional study of Air-polishing and Mechanical decontamination in Peri-Implantitis, sponsored by Göteborg University. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in Sweden. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-09.
Sponsored by Göteborg University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The aim of the present study is to evaluate the potential benefit of the adjunctive use of an air-polishing device in the non-surgical treatment of peri-implantitis as compared to mechanical infection control alone. Following establishment of adequate patient-performed infection control, 80 patients diagnosed with moderate/severe peri-implantitis at ≥1 implant will be randomized to one of two groups. Non-surgical will be carried out by experienced operators in three clinical centers and the mechanical instrumentation (control group) will be supplemented by the use of air-polishing with erythritol powder (AirFlow Master, EMS, Nyon, Switzerland) in the test group. The primary outcome assessed is "pocket closure" (ie probing pocket depth ≤5 mm \& absence of profuse bleeding on probing) after 6 months. Secondary outcomes include changes of clinical signs of soft tissue inflammation, adverse events and patient-reported outcome measures. Outcomes of non-surgical therapy will be evaluated at 3 and 6 months. Sites with remaining pathology at 6 months will be subjected to surgical therapy. Patients are then provided with personalized maintenance care and followed up to a 5-year evaluation.
The project will be conducted as a two-armed randomized controlled clinical trial of 5-year duration in three clinical centers. 80 systemically healthy patients diagnosed with moderate/severe peri-implantitis at ≥1 implant will be enrolled.
Upon enrolment, all patients will receive instructions in oral hygiene measures until adequate plaque control has been established (Plaque Index ≤20%). If required, supraconstructions will be adjusted to facilitate adequate oral hygiene measures. Thereafter, study participants will be randomized into two groups, stratified for smoking (yes/no) and number of implants in need of treatment (single/multiple).
The control group will be subjected to professionally administered non-surgical, mechanical infection control including the use of hand instruments and polishing cups aiming at the removal of all supra-mucosal soft and hard deposits from the target sites. In the test group the aforementioned treatment will be supplemented by the use of an air-polishing device (AirFlow Master, EMS, Nyon, Switzerland) with a specially designed nozzle for sub-mucosal application (PerioFlow Handpiece, EMS, Nyon, Switzerland). Following local anesthesia, the instrument will be used sub-mucosally at all aspects (ie mesial, distal, buccal, lingual) of the affected implant(s) at a power setting reduced to 60% and with a erythritol powder (14 mikrometer, AirFlow Plus Powder, EMS, Nyon, Switzerland). The handpiece will be guided in a circular motion in a corono-apical direction not in contact with the implant surface. Instrumentation time will be limited to 5 seconds at each aspect. Implant-supported supraconstructions will not be removed for the non-surgical treatment. Patients are recalled two weeks later for assessment of patient-experienced outcomes, professional supramucosal cleaning and reinforcement of oral hygiene.
Peri-implant soft tissues will be evaluated at three months. Implant sites with remaining signs of pathology (PPD ≥6 mm and presence of BOP at ≥3 aspects per implant will be subjected to re-treatment according to the initial allocation. The clinical evaluation will be repeated at 6 months. In case of residual signs of pathology, affected sites will be subjected to surgical therapy of peri-implantitis within the subsequent 4 weeks. Full thickness flaps will be elevated and inflamed tissues will be removed. Mineralized deposits on the implant surfaces will be removed with titanium-coated curettes. Surface decontamination will be performed using a rotating titanium brush under irrigation with saline. No bone recontouring of bony walls is intended. Flaps will be sutured to the level of the bone and sutures will be removed after 2 weeks. Implant-supported supraconstructions will be removed for the surgical intervention, if possible.
Maintenance therapy will be provided at 9 and 12 months and based on individual needs during the subsequent follow-up. A renewed evaluation will be performed at 12 and 18 months. Long-term assessments will be carried out annually from years 3 to 5. Should any implant site present with signs of disease progression (increase of PPD >2 mm and additional bone loss >1 mm compared to baseline) at any of the follow-up examinations, the implant will be exited from the study and appropriate additional therapy will be provided.
322 studies on the registry are indexed under Peri-Implantitis; 88 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 80 is above the median of 40 across 195 interventional studies indexed under Peri-Implantitis.
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Exclusion Criteria:
The control group will be subjected to non-surgical decontamination including the use of hand instruments and polishing cups aiming at the removal of all supra-mucosal soft and hard deposits from the implant surfaces.
Procedure: Mechanical decontamination
In the test group the mechanical instrumentation will be supplemented by the use of an air-polishing device during non-surgical therapy.
Procedure: Air-polishing · Procedure: Mechanical decontamination
Air-polishing with erythritol powder during non-surgical therapy (at baseline, 5 seconds per surface, and, if necessary, at 3 months).
Mechanical instrumentation of implant surfaces during non-surgical therapy (at baseline and, if necesarry at 3 months) including the use of hand instruments and polishing cups aiming at the removal of all soft and hard deposits from the target implant.
Proportion of participants/implants displaying pocket closure
Pocket closure: Probing pocket depth of ≤5 mm and absence of bleeding on probing at ≥3 aspects per implant and absence of suppuration on probing
Time frame: 3 months
Proportion of participants/implants displaying pocket closure
Pocket closure: Probing pocket depth of ≤5 mm and absence of bleeding on probing at ≥3 aspects per implant and absence of suppuration on probing
Time frame: 6 months
Proportion of participants/implants displaying pocket closure
Pocket closure: Probing pocket depth of ≤5 mm and absence of bleeding on probing at ≥3 aspects per implant and absence of suppuration on probing
Time frame: 18 months
Patient satisfaction assessed by visual analogue scale
Patient satisfaction as assessed on a 100 mm VAS
Time frame: 3 months
Patient satisfaction assessed by visual analogue scale
Patient satisfaction as assessed on a 100 mm VAS
Time frame: 6 months
Patient satisfaction assessed by visual analogue scale
Patient satisfaction as assessed on a 100 mm VAS
Time frame: 18 months
Changes in probing pocket depth
Reductions in PPD relative to baseline
Time frame: 3 months
Changes in probing pocket depth
Reductions in PPD relative to baseline
Time frame: 6 months
Changes in probing pocket depth
Reductions in PPD relative to baseline
Time frame: 18 months
Changes in probing pocket depth
Reductions in PPD relative to baseline
Time frame: 3 years
Changes in probing pocket depth
Reductions in PPD relative to baseline
Time frame: 4 years
Changes in probing pocket depth
Reductions in PPD relative to baseline
Time frame: 5 years
Changes in bleeding on probing
Reductions in BOP relative to baseline
Time frame: 3 months
Changes in bleeding on probing
Reductions in BOP relative to baseline
Time frame: 6 months
Changes in bleeding on probing
Reductions in BOP relative to baseline
Time frame: 18 months
Changes in bleeding on probing
Reductions in BOP relative to baseline
Time frame: 3 years
Changes in bleeding on probing
Reductions in BOP relative to baseline
Time frame: 4 years
Changes in bleeding on probing
Reductions in BOP relative to baseline
Time frame: 5 years
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 3 months
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 6 months
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 18 months
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 3 years
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 4 years
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels
Changes in marginal soft soft tissue levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 5 years
Changes in radiographic bone levels
Changes in radiographic bone levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 6 months
Changes in radiographic bone levels
Changes in radiographic bone levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 18 months
Changes in radiographic bone levels
Changes in radiographic bone levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 3 years
Changes in radiographic bone levels
Changes in radiographic bone levels relative to baseline
Time frame: 5 years
Rate of adverse events
Emphysema
Time frame: 3 months
Rate of adverse events
Emphysema
Time frame: 6 months
Rate of adverse events
Emphysema
Time frame: 18 months
Patient discomfort as expressed on a visual analogue scale
Patient discomfort 2 weeks after non-surgical treatment as expressed on a 100 mm VAS
Time frame: 3.5 months
Patient discomfort as expressed on a visual analogue scale
Patient discomfort 2 weeks after surgical treatment as expressed on a 100 mm VAS
Time frame: 6.5 months
Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a visual analogue scale
Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a 100 mm VAS
Time frame: 3 months
Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a visual analogue scale
Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a 100 mm VAS
Time frame: 6 months
Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a visual analogue scale
Esthetic appreciation as expressed on a 100 mm VAS
Time frame: 18 months
Plan to share: No
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