Polymicrobial peri-implant infection

The human oral cavity is an entrance to the digestive system and provides a habitat for bacteria. A microbiota is formed by a variety of bacterial species on the soft and hard tissues in the oral cavity, and is a community in which bacteria interact with each other. However, among the hundreds of bacterial species within a microbiota, only a limited number of species have been considered to be involved in oral infectious diseases such as dental caries and periodontitis. On the other hand, with the development of next-generation high-throughput sequencing technology, the activities and interactions of multiple bacterial species within a microbiota are being focused on in recent bacteriological research studies. In this chapter, the bacteriological aspect of peri-implantitis will be highlighted, especially with a focus on its polymicrobial nature. We will then present our research for the microbiota in peri-implantitis lesions, and discuss future perspectives of polymicrobial peri-implant infection.