For tens of millions of people, dental implants have provided a way to replace missing teeth with a full set of fixed, functional teeth rather than removable dentures. However, an estimated 10% to 20% of implant patients eventually develop peri-implantitis, a serious infection that damages the surrounding jawbone.

Antibiotics frequently fail to control this condition, and scientists have struggled to understand why. Now, researchers believe they have uncovered the mechanism responsible.

A new study published in PNAS Nexus by scientists at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine reveals that bacteria can gradually corrode dental implants, releasing microscopic titanium particles into nearby tissues.…