Proper planning for dental implant placement is critical to the success of the case. There must be a plan with the end in sight before any instrument is brought to the patient’s mouth. It starts with a complete medical history and dental exam with xrays and study models. This will give the dental team some insight into how to prepare the case. Sometimes it may require additional diagnostics. More specifically, a ct scan. A ct scan is a three dimensional rendering of the jaw which allows the dental implant surgeon to evaluate the anatomy of the jaw for the future dental implants.

The scan allows for evaluation of both height and width of the implant site. Also, it allows for evaluation of the safety of implant placement when near vital anatomic structures like the maxillary sinus or the mandibular nerve and artery. Traditional intraoral and panoramic xrays cannot demonstrate this kind of detail. Special software allows us to actually place the implants with the scan. Also, with the scan custom surgical guides can be made for extremely accurate implant placement. Finally, a diagnostic wax up is the key for restorative success of the case. In the past implants were just driven into the bone and teeth placed on top. This has lead to many functional and esthetic failures. Today’s planning focuses on where the final teeth shall be prior to implant placement. Restorative driven implant dentistry to be specific.

Dr. Carnazza is a Fellow in the International Congress of Oral Implantology, the world’s largest implant organization. His training is in both surgical and prosthetic implant dentistry focusing on restorative driven implant dentistry. Contact us today to learn more if you are a candidate for dental implants.