Nonsurgical management of inflammatory periimplant disease caused by food impaction: a clinical report.

The incidence, etiology, diagnosis, and management of infections and inflammatory disease around dental implants continue to be controversial. Although various researchers have described different etiologies and their ensuing treatments, none have proven to be definitive. Terms such as periimplant mucositis and periimplantitis have gained popularity. Food impaction into the periimplant sulcus and its role in inflammatory periimplant disease has not been previously reported in the literature. This article describes the nonsurgical management of a patient with a maxillary implant-supported overdenture, a recent history of pain, and suppuration around one of the implants. A detailed analysis of the patient's history and clinical findings indicated a differential diagnosis of impaction of husks of masticated sunflower seeds into the periimplant sulcus. The situation was successfully resolved in 1 week by local irrigation with 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate and the use of systemic antibiotics.