Discussions on Techniques and Procedures

Is there any harm in tapping a dental implant osteotomy site with the implant itself?

When I started restoring dental implants 20 years ago, the consensus was not to connect implants and natural teeth because this resulted in intrusion of the natural teeth.

He demonstrated how the best time to form highly aesthetic gingival architecture in the maxillary anterior aesthetic zone is at the time of implant placement.

After making my impression index, I attempted to unscrew the transfer coping screw. The angles of the internal hex rounded off and I could not engage the internal hex with the torque wrench.

Can someone please elaborate a bit on the tissue punch technique for dental implant placement? What are the benefits of this approach versus the more traditional surgical flap procedures?

When restoring multiple dental implants, what is the better treatment option: splinted crowns or free-standing individual crowns?

In which cases should distraction be used? What kinds of complications have you encountered?

What is the best method for holding a full denture to dental implant abutments? I’ve read alot about the O-Ring method, but I’m not sure if it is always applicable.

I read in Dental Economics where Gordon Christensen has proposed using mini dental implants to help support fixed bridges.

I have difficulty inserting the abutment into the dental implant fixture. The gingival tissue grows tightly against the healing cap.

Can someone explain, in simple terms, what platform switching is, and why it may lead to less bone loss?

Dr. Flynn asks:
A local general dentist is advertising palateless maxillary dentures supported by mushroom-shaped mucosal dental implants.

Dr. Marlow asks:
Could somebody explain what “Reversed Lingualized Occlusion” is and how I use this? I have a patient who has a prominent Class III skeletal form with an edentulous maxilla and mandible.

I am trying to form my opinion on the ‘All On Four’ concept by Nobel Biocare. However, it is very difficult to find good data on the subject.

I have begun to make surgical stents for my surgeon to guide the placement of dental implants in the maxillary aesthetic zone. There is some controversy over where to place a dental implant for a maxillary central incisor and what inclination to use.

Dr. Ruddick asks:
I have been using two dental implants to restore mandibular overdentures. I have my surgeon place a regular platform dental implant in the #22 and 27 areas and then I retrofit the existing mandibular complete denture.

Should I use cement or screw retention? Is the prevailing opinion in the restoration of dental implants moving in the direction of cement retention? If so, why?

Dr. Jack asks:
I would like to ask those out there who do routine implants around the maxilla region, what is the best approach to internal sinus lift? I have been to several courses but there are some variations and each with their own justification.

Dr. H. asks:Last night, I had inserted a fixture in right central incisor with diameter of 4.1 mm and 11 mm length. When I incised and reflect the flap I was confronted with a protruding crestal bone in the right central area because of malalignment of the extracted central.

Would flapless implant placement increase the acceptance of dental implant treatment plans with my patients? What are the pros and cons here?

Dr. Crenshaw asks us:
I am a general dentist just getting into placing dental implants. I
have been restoring cases for about five years.  I do a lot of
orthodontic therapy on children and I am intrigued by the use of
implants as anchors for orthodontics instead of having to band or
bracket many teeth.

Dr. Stevens asks: There are two basic schools of thought in replacing teeth with dental implants
and crowns and bridges.   One approach is to replace each tooth with a dental
implant and a crown.  The other approach is to use pontics and cantilevers. 

Dr. Malik asks:
I recently took a full day course in fixed dental implant prosthodontics. 
What I
was expecting was a course in dental implant-supported crowns and bridges.  What
we
actually had was a full day course in fixed-detachable (i.e., hybrid or
high-water) bridges for the edentulous mandible.

Dr. Shwartz asks us:
Does anyone have information regarding the radiation dossage you give to a patient when you routinely employ cat scans, including cone beam ones, to the treatment planning for dental implants?

Dr. Bernstein asks us:I use
CollaTape if I don’t get primary closure, but I find it resorbs too quickly,
and doesn’t contain the graft well.