Peri-implant bone loss: Management of a patient

This clinical report presents the prosthodontic management of early peri-im plant bone loss in a partially edentulous patient. Two narrow Branemark imp lants (3.3 mm in diameter) were placed to retain a mandibular implant prost hesis in the area of the mandibular left second premolar and first molar. T wo weeks after the prosthesis was put into function, the distal implant exh ibited soft tissue reactions. Radiographically, bone corresponding to 4 thr eads and 7 threads was lost at the mesial and distal sites, respectively, A fter occlusal load reduction was made to the existing prosthesis, bone was observed to have regenerated sufficiently to restore the defect radiographi cally, though not to the original level. The bone remained at a similar lev el at 36 months after treatment.