Dental implants are rigid compared to natural teeth and if an attachment is used between the prosthesis and and natural tooth, the stresses generated from occlusal forces are primarily loaded onto the implants. As a result, the following could be present:
1. The implant fixture may be overloaded resulting in failure.
2. The natural teeth may undergo disuse atrophy, affecting the supporting tissues more rapidly than under conditions of proper loading.
3. It is also possible that the natural teeth are overloaded, leading to extraction type forces that result in tooth loss.

Osseointegrated implants