Impact of interventional periodontal therapy on the longevity of failing dental implants: A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND: Biological complications such as peri-implantitis present a significant challenge to the long-term stability of dental implants, often leading to failure if left untreated. While a history of periodontitis is a known risk factor, there is a lack of real-world data quantifying the "survival extension" provided by therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of surgical and non-surgical "rescue" therapies in extending the lifespan of dental implants that ultimately failed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using the multi-institutional BigMouth dental data repository, examining patients treated between 2011 and 2022. The study identified 725 failed implants, which were stratified into two clusters: A "Rescue Therapy" group (n=130) that received active intervention (e.g., scaling, flap surgery, bone grafting) and a "No Rescue" control group (n=595) that received no intervention prior to failure. The primary outcome was time-to-failure, calculated in months. A subgroup analysis of implants surviving beyond 12 months was performed to isolate late-stage biological failures. RESULTS: The Rescue Therapy group demonstrated a statistically significant survival advantage over the No Rescue group. In the subgroup of implants surviving the initial osseointegration phase (>12 months), those receiving rescue therapy achieved a median survival of 91.1 months, compared to 40.9 months for untreated implants (p