Long-term evaluations of teeth and dental implants during dental maintenance period.

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the teeth and dental implants during dental maintenance therapy over 3 years in different conditions after periodontal and dental prosthetic treatment.

Materials And Methods: 166 patients received maintenance therapy. 59 patients were treated with 2% minocycline-HCl ointment as local drug delivery (LDD) (L group) and 107 patients were treated without LDD (NL group). Clinical data was collected in maintenance period for evaluation. Patients were classified into groups depending on the application of LDD with maintenance therapy, the type of dental treatment before maintenance period (Pre-Tx), the frequency (F-MT), and regularity (R-MT) of maintenance therapy.

Results: The numbers of lost teeth (N-teeth, =.003) and newly placed dental implants (N-implants, =.022) are significantly different according to Pre-Tx. F-MT among patients who received surgical dental treatment before maintenance period showed statistical differences in N-teeth (=.041), but not in N-implants (=.564). All of the patients in L group showed high F-MT (F-MT1). In NL group, there were no statistical differences in N-teeth or N-implants according to F-MT or R-MT. In F-MT1 group, application of LDD made N-teeth significantly different from both Pre-Tx groups while no significant difference could be found in N-implant. Independent t-test and one-way ANOVA were selected for statistical analysis.

Conclusion: The regular maintenance therapy and LDD can be effective for teeth during maintenance period. It is not only pharmacological efficacy in decreasing bacterial species that makes LDD a useful adjunct. Application of LDD also motivates patients to take adequate check-ups in the aspects of both frequency and regularity.