Article ID: JPR_D_25_00194
Patients: The aim of this observational clinical case series study was to evaluate the survival rate, complication frequency, and patient satisfaction following the application of the implant-supported digital double crown rescue protocol. This approach allows for the replacement of lost or non-restorable abutment teeth while preserving the full functionality of the existing denture by inserting a dental implant, restoring it with a custom-designed meso-abutment, and reusing the original primary crown. Ten patients with a total of 15 superstructures, treated according to this concept at the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, University Hospital, LMU Munich, were included in the study. The patients underwent clinical follow-up examinations and completed validated questionnaires to assess their quality of life and satisfaction. In addition, complications were retrospectively extracted from patient records.
Discussion: The survival rates for the prostheses, implants, and reinstalled primary crowns were 100%. No specific complications related to the double crown rescue protocol were identified. Implant-related complications were rare (n = 1). Prosthetic events (n = 10) and biological complications (n = 4) were more common but could mostly be managed with moderate effort. Patient satisfaction was very high in all categories assessed.
Conclusions: The double crown rescue protocol proved to be clinically successful and efficient. It enables cost-effective, functional restoration of existing prostheses in cases of abutment loss using a fully digital workflow. Given the high level of patient satisfaction and the low complication rate, this approach appears promising for routine clinical application, although larger-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.
