Displacement of maxillary dental implants: a case series on various scenarios

• Published in: BMC oral health Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 1380 - 10
• Main Authors: Bär, Anne-Kathrin, Werkmeister, Richard, Becker, Philipp, Lindwedel, Kim, Al-Nawas, Bilal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 14.11.2024; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Alveolar bone; Antibiotics; Asymptomatic; Bone density; Bone imaging; Bone implants; Bone surgery; Case Report; Case reports; Complications; Complications and side effects; Dental Implantation, Endosseous - adverse effects; Dental implants; Dental Implants - adverse effects; Dental prosthetics; Dentistry; Dentists; Device Removal; Disease prevention; Displacement; Endoscopy; Foreign body; General anesthesia; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Implant dentures; Invasiveness; Local anesthesia; Maxilla - diagnostic imaging; Maxilla - surgery; Maxillary sinus; Maxillary Sinus - diagnostic imaging; Maxillary Sinus - surgery; Maxillofacial surgery; Medicine; Migration; Nasal cavity; Nose; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Patients; Prostheses; Sinus; Sinuses; Sinusitis; Surgery; Teeth; Tomography; Germany; Case report; Nasal cavity; Migration; Maxillary sinus; Foreign body; Dental implants; Displacement
• ISSN: 1472-6831; 1472-6831
• DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-05022-x

Background Oral rehabilitation with dental implants is a common procedure in modern dentistry due to its high success rates. However, complications such as implant displacement can occur, particularly in the maxillary region due to factors like atrophied maxilla, thin alveolar bone, and low bone density. This case series explores scenarios of maxillary dental implant displacement, emphasizing the impact of immediate preoperative imaging on patient outcomes. Case presentation Three cases of maxillary implant displacement are presented, each illustrating a different scenario. Complications resulting from the displacement of implants into adjacent structures such as the maxillary sinus and nasal cavity are described. All cases involved implants that were displaced during second-stage surgery, occurring four to six months post-implantation. Removal attempts used transnasal endoscopic, intraoral, or combined approaches, with only one implant successfully retrieved. Delays in surgery ranged up to 72 h, leading to one implant being swallowed and another unlocated. Outcomes varied, with some patients requiring hospitalization for up to five days. Conclusion This series highlights the crucial role of immediate preoperative 3D imaging in precisely locating displaced implants to ensure their safe and efficient removal. While implant displacement may not always be preventable, optimizing the timeframe between diagnostic imaging and surgical intervention can significantly enhance management. Accurately locating the implant minimizes treatment invasiveness and patient discomfort, thereby improving clinical outcomes.