A gum disease around dental implants is called peri-implantitis. Bacterium which can infect gums around teeth can also infect the surfaces and gums around implants. The cause are bacterial deposits that have accumulated on an implant-supported crown or directly on the peri-implant surface. There they first damage the gingiva around the implants (gingivitis/mucositis). At this stage a professional cleaning and good oral hygiene with additional excellent interdental plaque control can stop the disease from spreading further. As implantology has advanced into being a standard care peri-implant diseases will become more common. If the peri-implantitis has spread further and dental plaque has reached sensitive areas close to the bone an open surgery might become necessary. The implant surface will be deep cleaned and in most cases a gum graft will be placed. For 14 days a mouth rinse is recommended (e.g. chlorhexidine).