Oral Hygiene Reinforcement With or Without Repeated Instrumentation in the Treatment of Peri‐Implant Mucositis—A Randomised Controlled Trial

To assess the efficacy of repeated submarginal mechanical instrumentation, as an adjunct to oral hygiene instruction, in the treatment of peri-implant mucositis. Patients with peri-implant mucositis were allocated to a control group receiving oral hygiene instructions only, or a test group with adjunctive repeated ultrasonic instrumentation with a polyetheretherketone tip. Bleeding on probing reduction was the primary outcome. A blinded examiner recorded clinical variables, and intraoral scans were obtained at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks. In total, 58 patients were recruited, and 50 completed the study. Clinical parameters improved from baseline in both groups. There were no significant differences in the reduction of the extent nor the severity of bleeding on probing between the control and the test group at the 12- and 24-week follow-ups, but a significantly higher reduction in the peri-implant mucosa volume was observed in the test group from 12 to 24 weeks. Ultrasonic instrumentation with a polyetheretherketone tip adjunctive to oral hygiene instructions did not render a higher reduction in bleeding on probing or lead to improved clinical outcomes. Still, it resulted in a higher reduction of the peri-implant mucosa volume as compared to oral hygiene instructions alone.