[Fracture of implant abutment screws and removal of a remaining screw piece]

Abstract

Fracture of the implant abutment screws is a complication which can render an implant useless. The prevalence of abutment screw fracture does not exceed 2.5% after 10 years. Causes are loosening of implant abutment screw, too few, too short or too narrow implants, implants not inserted perpendicular to the occlusal plane, improper suprastructure, too long free-ending parts of the suprastructure, improper occlusion concept, premature occlusal contacts, parafunctions, inadequate skills of the dentist, and fabrication failures. Methods of removing a fractured implant abutment screw piece are, among others, the use of a self-made screwdriver and the use of a service set available for the specific implant system.