Molecular tools for preventing and improving diagnosis of peri-implant diseases

Peri-implantitis is an inflammatory disease of tissues surrounding osseointegrated dental implants. Inflammation affecting soft and hard peri-implant tissues can cause alveolar bone resorption and subsequent implant loss. Clinical surveillance and early diagnosis are of paramount importance to reduce clinical failures and improve implant survival. Current diagnosis of implants is based on clinical and radiological signs. Molecular tests are an emerging diagnostic methodology, which potentially can help to detect and prevent early peri-implantitis and monitor the efficacy of therapy as well. A plethora of potential biomarkers are potentially available to support the clinical diagnosis of peri-implantitis. However, conflicting diagnostic conclusions have been reached, probably related to weak statistical results due to limited sample size or disease heterogeneity. The present paper reviews candidate diagnostic biomarkers for peri-implantitis, including infective agents, genetic susceptibility factors, and key proteins related to inflammation and tissue remodeling.