Objectives To review the literature on how implant surface characteristics influence peri-implant disease. Material and Methods A search of PubMed and The Cochrane Library of the Cochrane Collaboration (CENTRAL) as well as a hand search of articles were conducted. Publications and articles accepted for publication up to March 2010 were included. Results Thirteen studies were selected for the review. Human studies: To date, few studies have investigated if such differences occur. Limited data suggest that smooth surfaces may be less affected by peri-implantitis than rough surface implants. Animal studies: In ligature-induced peri-implantitis studies, no difference between surfaces has been reported. In a spontaneous progression model of peri-implantitis, there was a suggestion that the progression was more pronounced at implants with a porous anodized surface. Conclusion The current review revealed that only a few studies provided data on how implant surfaces influence peri-implant disease. Based on the limited data available, there is no evidence that implant surface characteristics can have a significant effect on the initiation of peri-implantitis.