What anatomical structures must be avoided during the placement of dental implant?

 

 

What anatomical structures must be

avoided during the placement of

dental implant?

 

 

 

 

For Upper Jaw

In the upper jaw, provided the implants

stay within the bone that once supported

your own teeth there are really no

important risk areas. If you have missing

upper back teeth then the shape and

location of the region above the roots

(maxillary sinus) can be shown to you.

The maxillary sinuses can be seen on most

x-rays and are therefore readily avoided.

 

 

 

 

For Lower Jaw

In the lower jaw the most important

anatomical structure to be avoided is t

he ‘inferior dental nerve’.

This nerve runs from the area behind

the wisdom teeth, passes under the back

teeth(molars) and emerges onto the skin

of the face in the region where your

middle teeth (premolars) are or used to be.

This is why a normal dental anaesthetic

produces a numb lip even when the needle

was placed right at the back of the mouth.

If this nerve is disturbed or damaged during

the placement of dental implants it can lead

to temporary or even permanent numbness

or altered sensation. This is a rare but

important complication.

 

 

 

 

S-PLANT 3D CT scans are generally

the best means for identifying the location

of this nerve and allow implants to be

placed with considerable confidence;

however, these are only sometimes

available within a normal dental surgery

environment. It may therefore require

a visit to a suitable hospital

where the scan is generally completed

within a few minutes. Whilst CBCT

scans are more expensive than routine

dental x-rays, the information

they provide is often invaluable for

complex treatment planning and

knowing where important anatomical

structures are located.

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