The Dog as a Model for Peri-Implantitis. A Review

Objective: To analyze the current available experimental canine models for peri-implantitis. Material and Methods: Electronic databases of the PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Cochrane Library were searched for dog studies on peri-implantitis induction methodology, until October 31, 2012. The eligibility of the studies for this review was based on the screening of two independent reviewers. Results: After screening, 50 publications were eligible for review. The most used animal model was the Beagle (n = 23). The bilateral mandible four premolar were the most extracted group of teeth (n = 20) and the majority of the studies had the placement of six implants in the jaw with only five (n = 5) of them reporting on interimplant distance. All publications reported peri-implantitis induction using ligature during a variable period of time and with a subsequent heterogeneous loss of peri-implant bone. The ligature placement and maintenance around the implant varied greatly between the publications. The constant use of ligatures, sometimes traumatically forced to the peri-implant sulcus, may influence the degree of bone loss during canine experimental peri-implantitis overlapping the contribution of implant surface to the onset and development of this pathology. Conclusions: A great heterogeneity exists among the studies reporting on the induction of peri-implantitis in canine. Experimental peri-implantitis model has suffered a change through the last years, from an exclusive ligature-induced to a ligature-induced and nonligature induced progression, thus approaching the natural occurrence of this pathology. The ideal canine peri-implantitis induction model would be a naturally occurring peri-implanititis induction without the action of any ligature.