Ultrasonic Oscillations for Conservative Retrieval of a Rare Fracture of Implant Healing Abutment
Dental implants can be rendered useless because of complications related to implant components such as the fracture of abutment screw and prosthetic retaining screw. Removal of such fractured fragments is therefore deemed necessary for the sake of prosthetic restoration. This case report presents a rare incident of healing abutment fracture and details the stepwise and probably the most conservative clinical technique using ultrasonic oscillations for retrieval of fractured screw fragment without affecting the internal surface of the implant. The management was based on the fact that the screw, being an inclined plane, will unthread when subjected to continuous vibrations.
Figure 1. Radiograph showing close proximity of the implant and the adjacent tooth. Also visible is the fractured fragment within the implant body. Figure 2. Radiograph showing the position of the scaler tip in relation to the fractured screw. Also showing is its narrow and long form. Figure 3. Fractured components of the healing abutment. Figure 4. Radiograph showing the implant body cleared of fractured fragment.
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