Titanium Particles and Peri-implantitis: Myths, Facts and Treatment Implications

Peri-implantitis has been receiving attention following recent studies that showed that it is highly prevalent and difficult to manage. This course will provide the latest evidence-based information on peri-implant diseases with emphasis on a team/interdisciplinary approach to treatment. The program will present the updates on the definition and etiology of peri-implantitis from the American Academy of Periodontology’s 2018 consensus meeting.

The instructor will present research findings on risk factors for peri-implant disease and preventive measures to incorporate into the implant treatment plan prior to implant placement that include implant treatment planning, material selection for cementation, restorative design and maintenance. In addition, the program will review innovative therapeutic protocols for disease prevention and treatment and recent advancements in implant cleaning instruments and chemotherapeutics.

The program will be presented by Dr. Kotsakis, Associate Professor, Periodontics, UTHealth San Antonio. His lab is a leading research center for peri-implantitis nationally and he frequently lectures on peri-implantitis research nationally and internationally.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Review the New 2018 classification of peri-implant diseases and conditions
  2. Assess Titanium implant corrosion as an etiologic factor for implant failure
  3. Determine the implant of professional cleaning on titanium surface damage
  4. Describe the steps of an efficacious implant-driven peri-implantitis therapy protocol

Dr. Georgio Kotsakis received his DDS from the University of Athens and following graduation he practiced in Athens, Greece for several years before coming to the United States. He then completed his residency in periodontics and obtained an MS in Science from the University of Minnesota, where he first got involved in peri-implantitis research.

Following his training, he became an assistant professor in the Department of Periodontics at the University of Washington in Seattle. In 2018, he moved to UTHSCA at San Antonio where he is currently an Associate Professor of Periodontics and directs the Clinical & Translational Periodontal Research Lab.

He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and an affiliate faculty member at the Universities of Washington and Minnesota. Dr. Kotsakis has published more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific articles and textbook chapters with more than 5,000 citations of his work. He is one of the few dental researchers to have been published in the prestigious Lancet.

He is the recipient of multiple career and research awards from the American Academy of Periodontology, the Academy of Periodontology Foundation, and other organizations. Dr. Kotsakis practices periodontics in the UTHSCA intramural clinics with a focus on treating implant complications and peri-implantitis, and he lectures on peri-implantitis nationally and internationally.