Management of a Dental Implant with Internal Thread Damage. A Patient Treatment Report

When a patient presents with an implant with the internal threads damaged (or cross-threaded), a definitive restorative challenge may be faced. By having a difference in hardness between an abutment screw and the implant to which it is to be attached, there is potential for internal thread damage to the implant if the opposing threads do not interface properly. As such, the operator must use care when positioning the abutment and engaging the threads to prevent possible misalignment and damage to the internal aspect of the implant body. This article describes such a situation and the action taken to overcome the problem.