Unconventional Implant Placement. 2: Placement of Implants Through Impacted Teeth. Three Case Reports

The aim of this paper is to report on three patients who received unconventional implant treatment because of the presence of impacted teeth. To avoid invasive surgical removal of the impacted teeth and delayed implant treatment, implants were placed through the impacted teeth. Of the seven implants placed into four impacted teeth, all healed uneventfully except a short (8.5-mm) implant that became mobile after 4 months. One and three implants now have been loaded for 3.5 and 2 years, respectively. The two other implants were removed after 6 months of uneventful healing. These cases, although limited in number, suggest that implant placement through an impacted tooth might not interfere with implant integration or harm occlusal function, at least in the short term. More study is warranted before this unconventional procedure might be considered as a possible clinical option when, at an impacted tooth site, clinicians seek to avoid invasive surgery.