Infraposition of Implant-Retained Maxillary Incisor Crown Placed in an Adult Patient: Case Report

Several studies have clearly shown that osseointegrated implants, when inserted in growing bone, such as in adolescents, do not follow the eruptive path of adjacent teeth; instead, they act like ankylosed teeth, remaining in a stationary position for the lifetime, thus developing a progressive infraposition of the implant-supported crown. However, further studies have demonstrated that similar changes also occur in adult patients, although mostly in a small amount and over long time spans. Here the case of a female patient aged 35 years is presented, in which infraposition of the maxillary central incisor developed in a very short time (15 months). The treatment provided was a combined orthodontic/prosthetic approach with a 4-year follow-up. Keywords: craniofacial growth, implant crown, infraposition, orthodontic intrusion