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Dr Wan Hui Wei Awarded Second Runner-up for Presentation on Peri-implant Mucositis Treatment

Does the use of chemotherapeutics improve treatment outcomes for peri-implant mucositis? 

Third-year Periodontics postgraduate, Dr Wan Hui Wei, addressed the research question above through a poster presentation at the Bangkok International Symposium of Implant Dentistry (BIS) held from 28 to 30 November 2022. For her presentation, she was presented the second runner-up award.

Dr Wan (right) was awarded second runner-up for her systematic review on improving peri-implant mucositis treatment outcomes.

On its sixth run, the Symposium provides a platform for participants to learn and share their knowledge and experiences in dental implantology as well as network with dentists who share the same passion. This year’s theme was ‘Changes and Challenges in Implant Dentistry’.

“The theme resonated well with me. As a final-year Periodontology resident, I am very excited to keep up with the technological advancement and revolution taking place in the dental implantology arena. At the same time, I am aware that one of the greatest challenges in dentistry implant is maintaining peri-implant health and managing peri-implant diseases,” shared Dr Wan.

Dr Wan with her research poster at the Symposium.

Dr Wan’s presentation topic, ‘Adjunctive Chemotherapeutics in the Treatment of Peri-implant Mucositis’, originated from her Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) thesis. For her thesis, she performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis to investigate if the adjunctive use of chemotherapeutics could improve treatment outcomes for peri-implant mucositis compared to mechanical debridement alone. Her review found that certain chemotherapeutics, such as multispecies probiotics, might improve the resolution of peri-implant mucositis. However, as evidence supporting benefits of chemotherapeutics is limited, mechanical debridement is still considered the gold standard for managing peri-implant mucositis. The review also reported that the availability of keratinised tissues and ease of plaque control around prostheses could be confounding factors affecting results of existing clinical studies. As such, these factors should be more well-controlled in future studies. Since the discoveries were exciting and related to the management of peri-implant diseases, Dr Wan decided to share them at the Symposium. She is grateful to be recognised for her efforts.

“As this was my first time participating in a poster presentation, I am very thankful to be awarded the second runner-up prize. This research project would not have been possible without support of the Faculty. I would like to thank my principal investigator, Associate Professor Alvin Yeo, for his excellent mentorship and kind encouragement, which motivated me to participate in the poster presentation. I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude towards Ms Sim Yu Fan for contributing her data analysis expertise and Associate Professor Fu Jia Hui for her immense support and invaluable guidance in my residency journey and research project. Last but not least, I would also like to thank my fellow Periodontology residents for providing useful suggestions and constructive feedback for my poster design,” Dr Wan said.