The use of teeth as abutments for fixed and removable partial dentures can
result in biologically destructive consequences. Teeth adjacent to edentulo
us spaces should exhibit improved prognoses if restorative trauma is to be
avoided or minimized. Implants offer a method of tooth replacement without
relying upon the surrounding dentition for support. This investigation eval
uates implant survival and prosthetic complications of implants that replac
ed single missing teeth and were placed in clinical practice during a 10-ye
ar period. It further examines preoperative status and survival of teeth ad
jacent to these implant restorations during the same 10-year time span. Nin
ety-nine patients treated with 116 implants and 112 single-tooth implant pr
ostheses in a prosthodontic practice were examined between 1988 and 1998. T
he purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of implants in preventing
the use of intact teeth for initial support of prostheses and in avoiding
the use of additional teeth as abutments upon the replacement of existing r
estorations. Three implants failed over a 10-year period, for a survival ra
te of 97.4%. Complications included the loss of 2 implant crowns, screw loo
sening, broken screws, cement washout, margin exposure, and porcelain fract
ure. Of 196 teeth adjacent to edentulous spaces, 156 (79.6%) were intact or
minimally restored. Only 3 of these teeth were restored as part of initial
prosthodontic therapy. Over the ensuing 10 years, only 1 tooth required a
replacement restoration, and 1 tooth was extracted. Results of this patient
evaluation demonstrated that implant survival over a 10-year period was fa
vorable, with minimal prosthetic complications. Furthermore, teeth adjacent
to single-tooth implants exhibited an extremely low complication rate. Thi
s report indicates that implants can be effective in preserving intact teet
h in patients undergoing initial prosthodontic therapy and in preventing th
e use of additional teeth as abutments in patients whose existing prosthese
s must be replaced.