Prevention of intrusion of natural teeth surrounded by freestanding implants

Abstract

Intrusion is frequently observed as a complication associated with tooth-implant-supported prostheses: the natural tooth that serves as an abutment moves apically and out of occlusion. However, intrusion of teeth proximal to implants has yet to be reported in the literature. In this manuscript, three presentations of tooth intrusion proximal to implants are reported; potential causes of the phenomenon are discussed; and a potential treatment for patients experiencing this condition is presented. Intrusion of teeth surrounded by freestanding implants is a rare phenomenon, a cause of which may be excessively tight proximal contacts that are below the height of contour of adjacent implants. Alleviating these contacts enables the intruded tooth to erupt back and should be considered a viable treatment option.