Advances in Dental Research, Vol 7, 202-206, Copyright © 1993 by International & American Associations for Dental Research
Microbiology of the dental implant
A. Mombelli
University of Bern, School of Dental Medicine, Switzerland.
Longitudinal studies have shown that successful implants are colonized by a
predominantly Gram-positive, facultative flora, which is established
shortly after implantation. Repeated microbiological sampling in patients
with clinically stable implants showed no significant shifts in the
composition of this flora over five years. In patients with bone loss and
pocket formation around implants, however, a significantly different flora
was found: Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria, particularly fusobacteria,
spirochetes, and black-pigmenting organisms such as Prevotella intermedia
were often present in high proportions. Antimicrobial treatment with agents
specifically active against anaerobes could halt progression of
peri-implant infections in such cases. Although there may be non-microbial
primary causes for implant failure, these studies show that Gram-negative
anaerobes may play a role in peri-implant infections, and that their
elimination leads to improvement of the clinical condition.
