Imaging and Implantology

The ideal goal of modern dentistry is to restore the patient to normal contour, function, comfort, esthetics, speech, and health. What makes implant dentistry unique is the ability to achieve this ideal goal regardless of the atrophy, disease, or injury of the stomatognathic system. The mere knowledge of the technique of implant treatment is not sufficient to eliminate all problems, the dentist has to be able to analyze a given clinical situation and evaluate the complexity. These imaging modalities contribute information for every stage of the treatment, extending from pre-surgical diagnosis and treatment planning, through surgical placement and postoperative assessment of the implant, into the prosthetic restoration and long-term surveillance phase. So, to develop and implement a cohesive and comprehensive treatment plan, diagnosis and imaging play a major role. The purpose of implant imaging is to assist the implant team in restoring the patients occlusion and function by providing accurate and reliable diagnostic information on the patients anatomy at the proposed implant sites. The development of precise pre-surgical imaging techniques and surgical templates allow the dentist to place these implants with relative ease & predictability.