Clinical outcomes of dental implants combined with limited orthodontic treatment: A retrospective case series study

Patients who visit the dental clinic for molar implant therapy often present with extruded opposing teeth or inclined adjacent teeth. In such cases, if implant therapy is performed with limited orthodontic treatment, natural tooth structure can be preserved as much as possible. These treatment methods are frequently conducted, but most related studies have been confined to case reports. This study is considered meaningful as it is the first report to review and analyze the prognosis of dental implants with limited orthodontics. From 2010 to 2017, among patients who underwent implant therapy at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, those who also underwent limited orthodontic treatment were investigated. A total of 11 implants placed in 11 patients was retrospectively analyzed. To evaluate improvement of horizontal or vertical occlusal relationship through limited orthodontics, 3D modeling software with scanned diagnostic models were used. The prognosis for the tooth undergoing orthodontic treatment was also evaluated. The average age of the 11 patients (4 males and 7 females) was 46.7 years, ranging from 26 to 63 years. All 11 implants placed in the posterior region survived without complications for an average of 36.7 months after functioning. Nine of 10 implants met the success criteria. An average of 11.4 months was required to upright the inclined posterior teeth, and an average of 3.2 mm of space was gained. Extruded molars were intruded by an average of 2.1 mm over an average of 13.5 months. One of the teeth that had undergone molar uprighting was extracted due to increased mobility after 27.0 months of orthodontic treatment completion, and none of the remaining 10 teeth exhibited significant findings. Dental implant therapy accompanied by limited orthodontic treatment could be considered a good treatment method that produced a satisfactory prognosis.