Treatment of peri-implantitis around TiUnite-surface implants using Er:YAG laser microexplosions.

Implant therapy can lead to peri-implantitis, and none of the methods used to treat this inflammatory response have been predictably effective. It is nearly impossible to treat infected surfaces such as TiUnite (a titanium oxide layer) that promote osteoinduction, but finding an effective way to do so is essential. Experiments were conducted to determine the optimum irradiation power for stripping away the contaminated titanium oxide layer with Er:YAG laser irradiation, the degree of implant heating as a result of Er:YAG laser irradiation, and whether osseointegration was possible after Er:YAG laser microexplosions were used to strip a layer from the surface of implants placed in beagle dogs. The Er:YAG laser was effective at removing an even layer of titanium oxide, and the use of water spray limited heating of the irradiated implant, thus protecting the surrounding bone tissue from heat damage.