Relationship between self-rated pain and peri-implant clinical, radiographic and whole salivary inflammatory markers among patients with and without peri-implantitis

Background: There are no studies that have evaluated the correlation between self-rated pain, peri-implant clinical and radiographic parameters (plaque index [PI], bleeding on probing [BOP], probing depth [PD], and crestal bone loss [CBL]) and whole salivary interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels among patients with and without peri-implantitis. Purpose: The objective was to evaluate the correlation between self-evaluated pain, peri-implant clinical and radiographic parameters and whole salivary IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels among patients with and without peri-implantitis. Materials and Methods: Included in this study were patients with and without peri-implantitis. Data regarding age, gender, duration of implants in function, and self-perceived pain were recorded using a question. Self-rated pain was assessed using the numeric pain rating scale. Peri-implant PD, PI, BOP, and CBL were recorded and samples of unstimulated whole saliva samples were obtained. Whole salivary IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were measured. Sample-size was approximated and group comparisons were completed. P-values <.05 were regarded as statistically significant. Results: Forty-six male individuals (21 with and 25 without peri-implantitis) were included. The mean age of individuals with and without PiD was 53.71 ± 5.45 and 50.92 ± 6.26 years, respectively. The mean self-rated pain score in patients with and without PiD was 3 ± 2 and zero, respectively. There was no significant difference in the SFR among patients with and without peri-implantitis. Levels of IL-1β (P <.01), IL-6 (P <.01), and TNF-α (P <.01) were significantly elevated in subjects with than without peri-implantitis. Regression analysis-based results reflected no significant association between increasing self-rated pain and whole salivary IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels. Conclusion: Proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) are more often expressed in the UWS of patients with than without peri-implantitis. However, the correlation between self-rated pain and whole salivary proinflammatory cytokine profile in patients with peri-implantitis remains unclear.