Dentistry has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Like all other healthcare specialties, dentistry has evolved through the years. The understanding of physiology of dental health and disease has evolved allowing us to treat dental diseases much more efficiently. However not all dental problems are fully understood.
Diseases that affect the bone and soft tissue around teeth and dental implants, also known as “periodontal” and peri-implant” diseases respectively, have proven to be among the least understood and challenging dental diseases to treat. Recent advancements in microbiology and immunology have revealed that periodontal and peri implant disease have a plethora of interactions between the invading bacteria, the defensive human cells, and signaling micro molecules that control inflammation. Those interactions have opened up a new frontier for researchers in dentistry, microbiology, immunology, pharmacology and dental materials to understand these interactions and explore possible new treatments.
Simvastatin is a commonly prescribed drug used to control blood cholesterol. Recent research has revealed that simvastatin also possesses potent anti-inflammatory properties, and research has shown that topical application simvastatin is effective at controlling inflammation around teeth with periodontitis. However it has not yet been tested around dental implants with peri-implant disease. Thus the purpose of the current study is to investigate the effect of topical simvastatin on implants with peri-implant inflammation