THE ROLE OF PERI-IMPLANT CREVICULAR FLUID IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF ORAL PERI-IMPLANTITIS: A SCOPING REVIEW

Peri-implantitis is a major inflammation involving soft and hard peri-implant tissues, resulting in implant loss that is currently considered an evolution of mucositis. At present, implant-supported prosthesis is readily accepted as a reliable treatment option for the rehabilitation of both partially as well as fully edentulous patients. A diagnosis of peri-implantitis can be made only by assessing the Gingival Index, the bleeding on probing, the probing depth, and an examination of the radiographic bone resorption. We can find in the literature studies that have suggested the possibility of diagnosing the beginning of peri-implantitis or of examining this pathological condition using inflammatory markers. This review aims to analyze which and how many inflammatory mediating factors are involved in the peri-implantitis destructive process and the possibility of using these same factors to diagnose, control, and eventually for the therapy of peri-implantitis. From a deep analysis of the literature, it is possible to observe how we are near the achievement of these objectives. Still, further studies are necessary to determine which markers and with what mechanisms these markers of inflammation can be utilized to treat the destructive process of both the soft and hard tissues involved in peri-implantitis. Therefore, it is not yet possible to give birth to a new protocol on peri-implantitis based on inflammatory markers, and future studies are necessary to establish the diagnostic accuracy and clinical relevance of these biomarkers.