Natural tooth intrusion phenomenon with implants: a survey

A common assumption when planning for treatment for a fixed partial denture potentially involving an osseointegrated implant is to avoid connection between the implant and natural tooth abutment because of the differences in mobility and potential long-term effects. A large population was surveyed to measure the incidence of natural tooth intrusion in implant-assisted fixed partial dentures (IAFPD) and to try to identify a correlation between type of implant and/or type of connector. Natural tooth intrusion occurred in 3.5% of the patient population specifically treated with IAFPD. No correlation could be made between incidence of intrusion and the type of implant or type of connector used.