Authors: Waad Kheder, Prof. Hasan Alkumru.
Objective: To assess if single implants restored in the undergraduate clinic at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, are placed in a compromised buccolingual position and angulation relative to the adjacent natural teeth.
Materials and Methods: The study sample consists of 108 patients treated with single implants placed in the Implants Placement Unit and restored by predoctoral students at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. Assessing the buccolingual angulation and position of implant relative to adjacent teeth were conducted by using the measurement tool in the three dimensions scanner.
Results: The results showed that 11.1 % of the implants included in the study were placed in a non-ideal buccolingual position (more lingually). The percentage of non-ideal buccolingual implant angulation was low.
Discussion: The challenges in placing the dental implant in an ideal buccolingual angulation were less than that to place the implants in an ideal buccolingual position. The placement of the implant in a non-ideal position/angulation may be due to: Gingival biotype, buccal cortical plate concavity and selected implant diameter.
Conclusion: Cone beam computed tomography might be considered as an aid, especially for comprised cases, in order to place implants in an ideal angulation and/or position.
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