Displacement of a dental implant in the mandible body: an unusual case report

Purpose: to present a case of a woman referred for the management of displacement of one implant in her right posterior mandible occurred three days earlier. Materials and methods: After implant placement, the dentist was not able to detect the implant anymore and inserted a second implant in the same site without taking a control x-ray. At the end of the surgery, when finally an x-ray was taken, the first implant appeared displaced into the mandible body. The patient suffered total paraesthesia on the right lower lip and chin area. A flap was raised and bone osteotomies were performed on the lateral side of the mandible to create a rectangular cortical bone window that was removed. The implant was stuck by the second implant placed coronally, and only after unscrewing this second implant it was possible to remove the first one. Results: Eighteen months later, the patient recovered full sensitivity. Conclusions: In case of implant displacement, it is always recommended to perform appropriate radiographs to visualize where the implants could have been displaced in order to avoid more serious consequences.