Private Practice Pasadena Prosthodontics Pasadena, California
In spite of high success rates, implant therapy is not without problems. Various types of mechanical complications may occur, including loose abutment screws, stripped abutment screws and fractured abutment screws. Unfortunately, many general dentists are not always equipped to manage these complications, and the patients are often referred to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon for a solution. A variety of techniques have been described in the literature for managing fractured abutment screws and the removal of the residual fragments, with varying degrees of complexity. This workshop will focus on principles and guidelines for achieving successful screw joints with implant restorations. It also will focus on a classification system for the fractured screw fragments retained in the implant fixture, and present a decision tree to systematically select the appropriate clinical technique for retrieving the fractured screw fragment. In the hands-on component of this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to retrieve a stripped abutment screw from a typodont, as well as perform several exercises of broken screw removal utilizing a variety of proven retrieval techniques. Participants must their own bring loupes and headlights to this course.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants should be able to:
Discuss screw mechanics and the factors that contribute to screw loosening.
Remove an abutment screw with a stripped head.
Remove fractured screw fragments using a variety of techniques.
