Performance of a Repair Service Set for the Retrieval of Fractured Abutment Screws: A Pilot In Vitro Study

Purpose: To report the performance of a repair service set for the retrieval of fractured screws and to compare three clinical assessments to an in vitro assessment to verify the completeness of removal of the fractured screws. Materials and Methods: Twelve clinicians were asked to remove fractured implant abutment screws from prepared specimens by means of a repair service set. The completeness of the removal of any abutment screw material was measured by the fit of an impression post, a dental surgery microscope, and the use of an elastomeric impression material. Results: After the participants attempted to remove the fractured screw with the repair service set, 100%, 83.3%, 66.7%, and 75% of the fractured screws were considered successful in the impression post, dental surgery microscope, silicone replica, and stereomicroscope assessments, respectively. Conclusion: The retrieval of fractured screws succeeded in 75% of the cases. The silicone replica technique and the dental surgery microscope had similar diagnostic values to the stereoscopic microscope assessment. Parole chiave: dental abutments, dental implants, dental restoration failure