Introduction: A stubborn non yielding healing abutment is a mechanical complication which makes easy recovery of the healing abutment difficult or impossible Complication at this crucial step, if not handled properly with care, may result in implant loosening and ultimately lead to failure specially in low bone density cases. This paper discusses a technique that can easily retrieve the healing abutment in no time without damaging the implant.
Methodology: A 48 yr old female patient had undergone implant surgery for rehabilitation of edentulous mandible. After healing period of 3 months stage two surgeries was performed and healing abutments were placed. At 2 wks after healing abutment placement when the patient came back for final impression, it was found that the healing abutment was easily removed except one. When the hex driver failed to loosen the screw, orthodontic plier was used to try and remove the healing abutment, but all efforts went in vain. It was finally decided to use a novel approach by making a groove in the head of the healing abutment with thin carbide bur under copious water irrigation. A sterilized stainless steel screw driver was used, which could be engaged in the groove formed on the healing abutment.
Conclusion: With more growing implant market there is competition to make implants and implant accessories at lower cost, sometimes at the expense of quality. Because of which complication may arise at surgical or prosthetic phase. Tightening the healing abutment using the correct torque values recommended in the protocol and taking proper precaution of not reusing the healing abutment for multiple patients should be given utmost importance