Study: Intensive oral care with Cervitec Gel improves the clinical treatment results of peri-implant mucositis.
Nightly teeth cleaning routine using Cervitec Gel.
Personal oral health care plays an important part in the long-term maintenance of implant-retained restorations. These measures are of particular importance in situations where mucositis has already developed, i.e., if the peri-implant soft tissue is inflamed. A successful treatment strategy for this type of case has been devised in the course of a clinical study conducted in Sweden.
Thirty-eight people participated in the double blind study of Hallström et al. (2015). Their average age was 69 years. All the subjects showed peri-implant mucositis around at least one implant. After the initial examination, the patients were instructed in oral hygiene maintenance. In addition, any plaque and tartar was mechanically removed by a dental professional. The participants were then allocated to either the test or control group. Over a period of 12 weeks, members of the test group brushed their teeth with Cervitec Gel instead of toothpaste in the evening. This gel contains 0.2 per cent chlorhexidine and 900ppm fluoride. In contrast, the control group used a placebo gel containing 900ppm fluoride but no chlorhexidine.
Reduction in the bleeding on probing (BOP)
The additional use of the oral care gel had a statistically significant effect on the reduction of BOP compared with the placebo gel. Moreover, the local plaque index in the test group improved and the periodontal pocket depth decreased.
Bleeding on Probing (BOP) after measuring the periodontal pocket depth around an implant showing peri-implant mucositis and after having used Cervitec Gel or a placebo gel: at baseline and after 4 and 12 weeks.
High level of compliance
Throughout the study period, no staining of the teeth or disgeusia was observed or reported. Participants showed a high level of compliance using the mild-tasting gel.
Cervitec® is a registered trademark of Ivoclar Vivadent AG.
Reference:Hallström H, Lindgren S, Twetman S: Effect of a chlorhexidine-containing brush-on gel on peri-implant mucositis. Int J Dent Hyg 2015; doi: 10.1111/idh.12184
