Adjunctive glycine powder air-polishing for the treatment of peri-implant mucositis: an observational clinical trial

Background. Peri-implant infectious complications are a group of diseases with a great prevalence in the population. Peri-implant mucositis could be successfully treated with antimicrobial treatments, preventing the evolution in irreversible peri-implantitis Aim/Hypothesis. The aim of this study was to compare professionale oral hygiene and professional oral hygiene and glycine air-powder system for the treatment of peri-implant mucositis. Material and Methods. After the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, patients were divided in two groups: in control group patients were treated with professional oral hygiene maneuvers while in the test group glycine air-powder system was adjuncted to professional oral hygiene. Probing depth, bleeding index and plaque index were measured at baseline, and 3 months and 6 months after the treatment. Results. A total of 30 patients (15 per group) were selected for the study. InPOH e SGA group, PD was, 2.86 ± 0.37 mm and 3.00 ± 0.36 mm at baseline, 2.90 ± 0.53 mm and 2.62 ± 0.50 mm after 3 months, 2.96 ± 0.56 mm and 2.41 ± 0.54 mm after 6 months, respectively, significantly lower in SGA group in the last follow-up visit. In both groups both PI and BI decreased over time Conclusions and clinical implications. The present reports showed that both techniques were useful for the treatment of peri-implant mucositis. In the test group (with glycine powder), a significant reduction of probing depth was observed. Air-abrasive system with glycine powder can be considered as viable treatment option for peri-implant mucositis as an adjunct to professional oral hygiene maneuvers. Moreover, glycine may have an important effect on the mucosal health, with a consequent reduction of probing depth.