Implants · patient case question
What is the diagnosis?
Patient case: Implant Maintenance Problems
demo: 57-year-old female
chief: “The gums around my implants bleed and food gets stuck underneath.”
history: Edentulous maxilla restored with an implant-supported fixed prosthesis 3 years ago. Former smoker.
meds: None
findings: Bleeding on probing and erythema of the peri-implant mucosa at three sites. Radiographs show no bone loss beyond the initial remodeling. The intaglio of the prosthesis is concave, with food packing at the tissue interface.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Peri-implant mucositis
- A. Hyperplasia would present as tissue overgrowth rather than the erythema and bleeding described.
- B. Correct. Inflammation of the peri-implant soft tissue with bleeding on probing but without progressive bone loss defines peri-implant mucositis — the reversible precursor to peri-implantitis.
- C. Peri-implantitis requires radiographic bone loss beyond the initial remodeling, which is absent here.
- D. Failing osseointegration presents with mobility and a peri-implant radiolucency, neither of which is described.