DentaltownUK October 2017 - 25

IMPLANTS

treatment options and boost your reputation

F

or clinicians who place implants,
3-D imaging can be an asset that
helps improve the way they diagnose
and treat implant patients, as well
as those with other dental conditions.
During my residency, 3-D imaging was
an important part of learning to evaluate
and plan every aspect of implant surgery.
So when I purchased my practice a year
and a half ago, I knew that to build an
implant practice, I needed to add CBCT
technology; the extra information it provides
helps build my reputation and my practice's
potential. (I had experience with several
brands, but ultimately opted to purchase
an i-CAT system.)
With 3-D imaging, the process for
preparing a patient for an implant is simplified and more precise. After confirming
candidacy for the procedure, I take a
3-D scan and use it as a visual aid while
I discuss anatomy, jaw, soft tissue and
possible implant location. If the patient
is on board with the treatment, then the
clinical process begins.
Again, I review the scan and decide on
the size of the implant, based on the anatomical dimensions. I choose the diameter
and the length of the implant and, using
3-D planning software, virtually "place" it
in the proper position for optimal occlusal
forces. I then export this information and
place an order for a surgical guide; within
a few days, it's ready for approval.
It takes a week or less from finalizing

the implant plan to receiving the surgical
guide-a quick turnaround time. With this
planning capability (Fig. 1), my implant
cases have been well-placed, and postop
outcomes have been good.

Informed views lead
to informed decisions
Having 3-D imaging not only provides
me with accurate and viable diagnostic
information, but I've also noted that allowing
patients to see their condition motivates them
to make the right choices. Patients are more
apt to schedule treatment when they see the
condition of their teeth. This has also led to
word-of-mouth referrals and an improved
reputation as a technology practice.
Information gained from the CBCT scan
can help me avoid possible complications.
For example, a patient fractured tooth #29
at the gingival margin. I explained that the
tooth was nonrestorable, and she asked
about an implant.
On the standard periapical X-ray, the
anatomy where the implant was to be placed
looked a bit suspicious for proximity to
the nerve. I couldn't really determine that
information from the standard 2-D scan,
so I captured a 3-D image, which showed
that the mental foramen was right at the
apex of the tooth (Fig. 2).
The original plan was to extract the
tooth and place the implant on the same
day. If I had placed the implant where the
tooth socket was, I would have placed the

by Patrick L. McGee, DDS
Patrick L. McGee, DDS,
studied at Louisiana
Tech University and
earned his doctorate of
dental surgery from the
Louisiana State University
School of Dentistry.
He then completed a
dental implant residency
program in Bessemer,
Alabama. McGee also has completed training in IV
sedation, dental implants and bone grafting surgery,
Invisalign and Six Month Smiles. He has special
interests in dental implantology, oral pathology and
management of oral diseases, TMJ disorders and
orofacial pain. McGee maintains membership in the
American Dental Association, the Louisiana Dental
Association, the Academy of General Dentistry,
the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, the
Academy of Osseointegration and the International
College of Oral Implantologists.

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