Professor Nicola West

Friday 2nd March 2012: 16.45-17.45

Peri-implant diseases: how do we treat them?

Peri-implant diseases are now not that usual when they present in general dental practice. Peri-implant mucositis occurs in about 80% of people restored with implants and peri-implantitis in between 28% and 56% of individuals. It is important to regularly monitor patients with implants for example recording bleeding on probing and probing depths and inform patients that peri-implant tissues respond to plaque accumulation in a similar way to that of periodontal tissues. 

Risk factors also need to be taken into account, such as smoking. As yet no single method of surface decontamination for the treatment of peri-implantitis has been found to be superior, however non surgical therapy was not found to be effective. Mechanical non-surgical therapy can be effective however, in the treatment of peri-implant mucositis lesions

Learning Outcomes:

It is anticipated that at the end of this presentation delegates will be able to better:

• Understand the aetiology of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis
• Appreciate  maintenance therapy relevant for peri-implant diseases
• Gain knowledge on current treatment regimens for peri-implant diseases

Biography:

Professor Nicola West is an Honorary Consultant in Periodontology at the Bristol Dental Hospital and School. Nicola is a graduate of the Cardiff University School of Medicine.  After attaining her FDS from the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Nicola gained her PhD from the University of Wales (Cardiff) in 1995, on dentine hypersensitivity and tooth surface loss.

Currently Nicola leads the Clinical Trials Unit at the Bristol Dental Hospital and School attracting substantial industrial funding over many years, furthering research in the field and publishing widely in peer reviewed journals. Current research interests involve  periodontology, bone augmentation and implantology, evaluating oral health care products, tooth wear, dentine hypersensitivity, whitening and stain removal. Nicola lectures regularly in the international forum, is a committee member of the British Society of Periodontology as well as the postgraduate tutor for the British Society of Periodontology in the South West Region, committee member of the BSI British Standards, UK National Standards Body (NSB).