Transmission of Periodontopathic Bacteria from Natural Tooth to Implants

Objectives: Prevention of peri-implantitis by specific bacterial infection is essential in successful implant treatment. Peri-implantitis is mainly caused by specific bacteria similar to those associated with periodontitis. It has been suggested that these microorganisms are transmitted to implants from the periodontal pockets of the surrounding natural teeth. We investigated the influence of location of the natural teeth on transmission of periodontopathic bacteria to implant sites.

Methods: Seventeen patients with implant placement were enrolled in the study. Subgingival plaque samples were collected from adjacent, occluding, and contralateral teeth before abutment connection surgery. Samples from implant sulci were obtained 2 weeks after abutment connection surgery. After DNA was extracted from the sample, detection of periodontopathic bacteria was performed by polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Detection rates of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tanerella forsythia, and Fusobacterium nucleatum in the subgingival samples from the natural teeth were 33%, 41%, 39%, 18%, 29%, and 55%, respectively, and those from the implant sites were 24%, 58%, 35%, 29%, 35%, and 65%, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that detection of P. gingivalis, T. denticola, and F. nucleatum at the implant sites was associated with infection of the adjacent teeth. Detection of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. intermedia and T. forsythia at implant sites showed no association with that in natural teeth.

Conclusion: The present findings suggest that infection of the periodontal tissue of adjacent teeth by P. gingivalis, T. denticola and F. nucleatum influence infection of implant sulci.