Submucosal microbiome of peri-implant sites: a cross-sectional study

Aim To study the peri-implant submucosal microbiome in relation to implant disease status, dentition status, smoking habit, gender, implant location, implant system, time of functional loading, probing pocket depth (PPD), and presence of bleeding on probing (BoP). Materials and methods Biofilm samples were collected from the deepest peri-implant site of 41 patients with paper points, and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. Results We observed differences in microbial profiles by PPD, implant disease status, and dentition status. Microbiota in deep pockets included higher proportions of the genera Fusobacterium, Prevotella, and Anaeroglobus compared to shallow pockets which harbored more Rothia, Neisseria, Haemophilus and Streptococcus. Peri-implantitis (PI) sites were dominated by Fusobacterium and Treponema compared to healthy implants (HI) and peri-implant mucositis (PM) which were mostly colonized by Rothia and Streptococcus. Partially edentulous (PE) individuals presented more Fusobacterium, Prevotella and Rothia whereas fully edentulous (FE) individuals presented more Veillonella and Streptococcus. Conclusions PPD, implant disease status, and dentition status may affect the submucosal ecology leading to variation in composition of the microbiome. Deep pockets, PI, and PE individuals were dominated by Gram-negative anaerobic taxa.