Dr. C talking on ANT1 about periodontal disease and systemic health with Nikitas Kyriakou

Resolution of a peri-implantitis defect using sterile saline for implant surface detoxification: A case report with clinical re-entry

Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory disease involving the soft and hard tissues surrounding a dental implant. Its prevalence is increasing, and, if left untreated, it can lead to the loss of the implant. Decontamination of the implant surface is a primary prerequisite to successfully treat this disease. The best way to accomplish this is still a source of controversy. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of a clinical re-entry in a human showing almost complete osseous fill of a deep circumferential infrabony peri-implantitis lesion after mechanical debridement with a curet and chemotherapeutic detoxification with only sterile saline.

*reference: Fletcher P, Constantinides C. Resolution of a peri-implantitis defect using sterile saline for implant surface detoxification: a case report with clinical re-entry. Clinical Advances in Periodontics. 2015 Nov;5(4):235-41.

Management of an ailing anterior implant using minimally invasive flapless surgical technique: A case report

Peri-implantitis is an inflammation of the soft and hard tissues surrounding an implant that results in the destruction of alveolar bone. Surgical flaps are usually elevated to allow for thorough debridement and disinfection of the implant surface. This frequently results in gingival recession, crown margin exposure, and a poor esthetic result. This is not desirable in the esthetic zone. In this case report, a minimally invasive flapless technique incorporating the use of curettage and antiseptics is used to successfully disinfect a contaminated dental implant to allow for soft tissue readherence and pocket reduction. Radiographic bone fill is also seen. The results have been maintained for 2 years.

*reference: Constantinides C, Chang J, Fletcher P. Management of an Ailing Anterior Implant Utilizing a Minimally Invasive Flapless Surgical Technique: A Case Report. Clinical Advances in Periodontics. 2017 Oct 16(0):1-3.

MicroRNAs regulate cytokine responses in Gingival Epithelial Cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been established as key regulators of various biological processes with possible involvement in the pathobiology of periodontal disease. Expanding our earlier observations of substantial differential expression of specific miRNAs between clinically healthy and periodontitis-affected gingival tissues, we used miRNA inhibitors (sponges) in loss-of-function experiments to investigate the involvement of specific miRNAs in the response of pocket epithelium-derived, telomerase-immortalized human gingival keratinocytes (TIGKs) to microbial infection. We constructed stable knockdown (KD) cell lines for five epithelium-expressed miRNAs (miR-126, miR-141, miR-155, miR-210, and miR-1246) and assessed their response to infection with periodontal pathogens using microarray analysis, quantitative PCR (qPCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot assay.

*reference: Chen SC, Constantinides C, Kebschull M, Papapanou PN. MicroRNAs regulate cytokine responses in gingival epithelial cells. Infection and immunity. 2016 Dec 1;84(12):3282-9.