Use of Distraction Osteogenesis for Repositioning of an Osseointegrated Implant: A Case Report

This report presents a clinical case in which distraction osteogenesis was used for the vertical repositioning of an implant already osseointegrated in the maxillary right central incisor area. An adhesive prosthesis was cemented over the neighboring teeth to accomplish this procedure. The prosthesis was made with a temporary cylinder directly over the implant to guide its repositioning. After incision and osteotomy, the area that contained the implant was fixed with an implant mount screw. After initial gingival healing (7 days), activation of the distraction was begun. The screw was activated with a full turn thrice a day, for a total of 1.0 mm per day for 7 consecutive days. Thereafter, the bone was allowed to heal for 3 months. Distraction osteogenesis led to a better implant-crown relationship, even after the osseointegration of the implant, thus improving the esthetic results. Keywords: distraction osteogenesis, osseointegrated implants, vertical osseous defects