Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
 | 
Online Publication Date: 13 Mar 2025

Evaluation of Bone Loss in Implants Adjacent to a Tooth or Edentulous Area in Peri-Implantitis and Control Murine Models

DDS,
DDS, PhD,
DDS, PhD,
DDS, PhD,
DDS, and
DDS, PhD
Page Range: 98 – 104
DOI: 10.1563/aaid-joi-D-24-00100
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Peri-implantitis (PI) is an inflammatory disease that affects supportive tissues around dental implants, and its progression eventually leads to bone loss and implant failure. However, PI effects may be different based on the presence or absence of adjacent teeth. The objective was to investigate the differences in bone loss and inflammation between implants placed adjacent to a tooth or edentulous area in a ligature-induced PI model. Materials and methods include the following: Three-week-old C57BL/6J male mice underwent maxillary first (AT; n = 12) or first and second (AE; n = 8) left molar extractions. In both groups, implants were placed in the first molar region 8 weeks after tooth extraction. Each group was further divided into control (C) or ligature (PI) 4 weeks after osseointegration. The mice were euthanized 12–14 days after ligature placement. The samples were analyzed using micro-computed tomography and histology. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance and Tukey multiple comparison test (P < .05). Radiographic linear analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in bone levels between the two C and PI groups. Linear bone loss was significantly greater in the PI group than in the C group. Volumetric analysis yielded similar results. Histologically, hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed no notable differences between the two C and PI groups. The PI groups showed increased levels of inflammatory infiltrates and bone resorption. Qualitative assessment of collagen through picrosirius red staining demonstrated increased collagen disorganization in the PI group compared with that in the C group. No notable differences were observed between the AT and AE groups. The presence or absence of an adjacent tooth does not influence PI-induced soft and hard tissue alterations.

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Flowchart of the experiment design.


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(a) Representative sagittal micro-CT images in the C and PI groups of implants adjacent to a tooth and an edentulous area, respectively. (b) Representative image of linear bone height measurement from the implant head to the alveolar bone crest on the distal side of the implant. The graph represents the average distance from the implant head to the alveolar bone crest of the implant. Data are shown as the mean, standard error of the mean (SEM), P > .05 (n ≥ 4 all groups). (c) Representative image of volumetric bone loss measurement on the distal side of the implant. The graph represents the average volumetric bone loss on the distal side of the implant. Data are shown as the means and standard errors of the mean (SEMs), P > .05 (n ≥ 4 all groups). Quantified as bone volume in mm3. *P < .05; *P < .01; ***P < .001. C: control; PI: peri-implantitis; D: distal region (adjacent tooth or edentulous area); M: mesial region.


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Histomorphological analysis. Representative sagittal H&E images of C and PI groups of implants adjacent to a tooth and an edentulous area. Black arrows: bone resorption. Yellow arrows: inflammatory infiltrate. 5× magnification. H&E: hematoxylin and eosin; C: control; PI: peri-implantitis.


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F igure 4.

Representative sagittal images of picrosirius red staining under polarized light of the C and PI groups of implants adjacent to a tooth and an edentulous area, respectively. Yellow arrows: type I (yellow); green arrows: type III (green). 20× magnification. C: control; PI: peri-implantitis.


Contributor Notes

Corresponding author, e-mail: fpirih@dentistry.ucla.edu
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