Implant Osseointegration Adjacent to a Retained Root Fragment: A Case With 11-Year Follow-up

TL;DR

A dental implant placed near a retained root fragment showed successful osseointegration for 11 years, but late failure occurred, highlighting the need for caution in such cases.

Contribution

This case report provides a rare 11-year follow-up on osseointegration adjacent to a retained root fragment, revealing both success and late failure risks.

Findings

An implant placed near a retained root fragment showed osseointegration with no short-term issues.

Late failure occurred 11 years post-implantation, indicating potential long-term risks.

The case emphasizes the importance of risk–benefit evaluation when dealing with retained root fragments.

Abstract

Introduction: There is a growing demand for implant dentistry as the first choice of rehabilitation for treating patients with missing teeth. Clinicians can encounter asymptomatic retained root fragments in edentulous spaces. This case report presents the long-term prognosis of an implant resulting in late failure, with an attached root remnant to the fixture 11 years after implant placement.

Case Report: A 68-year-old female patient presented to the clinic with complaints of function related to a maxillary right four-unit implant-supported bridge 11 years after the first insertion of the implants. After the removal of the restoration, a root remnant was found as adhered to the fixture of the middle supporting implant. The implant was placed encroaching upon the mesial part of the residual root fragment left unintentionally, which was discovered accidentally during the bridge removal.

Conclusion: Clinicians should show ultimate attention when utilizing the retained root remnants in implant sites, considering the potential risk of hindering osseointegration. However, osseointegration of the encroached implant and root fragment is plausible, with no detrimental short-term impacts observed. A risk–benefit evaluation should be assessed individually, as late failures can still occur.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06671678

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