Case Report
IRREVERSIBLE COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING FAILED IMPLANT PLACEMENT IN A 66-YEAR-OLD PATIENT: LOSS OF FIXED PROSTHETIC REHABILITATION AFTER REMOVAL OF PAINFUL MAXILLARY IMPLANTS
1 School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
2 Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20100 Monza, Italy
3 Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
Correspondence to:
Department of Medicine and Surgery,
University of Milano-Bicocca,
Monza, Italy
Annals of Stomatology 2026 September-December 6(3): Ahead of Print
https://doi.org/10.69129/stomatol/2026v6iss3_5
Received: 24 September 2026 Accepted: 22 October 2026
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Abstract
This case report describes a 66-year-old woman presenting with persistent pain associated with a provisional fixed prosthesis supported by malpositioned maxillary implants. Clinical and radiographic evaluation revealed pronounced implant angulation errors, inadequate three-dimensional positioning, and loss of prosthetic parallelism, rendering the implants non-restorable. Therefore, complete explantation was indicated and performed without complications. Postoperative radiographs confirmed the absence of implants and the establishment of a stable, healthy anatomical site. However, the extensive hard- and soft-tissue damage resulting from the initial failed intervention significantly compromised the possibility of achieving a predictable fixed implant-supported rehabilitation. Given the patient’s age, anatomical limitations, and the biological cost of further regenerative procedures, a removable prosthetic solution was determined to be the safest, most conservative, and most predictable long-term option. This case emphasizes the importance of comprehensive diagnostic assessment, correct imaging selection, and adherence to prosthetically driven planning principles to avoid irreversible biomechanical complications and ensure the long-term success of implant therapy. Moreover, it underscores how early planning errors can trigger a cascade of consequences that progressively reduce rehabilitative options, reinforcing the need for meticulous surgical execution and timely diagnostic interpretation.
Keywords: implant failure, implant malposition, orthopantomography, prosthetically driven planning, removable prosthetic rehabilitation