BONE QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF DENTAL IMPLANT RECIPIENT SITES

Abstract

The term bone quality is not clearly defined and depends on many factors, such as bone density, bone vascularity, bone me-tabolism and other factors that may affect implant outcome. The assessment of bone volume and bone density is most common in planning the treatment of dental implants. Bone quality is an important predictor of primary implant stability, which in-fluences the future implant osseointegration. Numerous classifi-cations have been described for the evaluation of bone density. Th e most commonly used has been the one proposed by Lekholmu and Zarb. For the objective evaluation of bone den-sity, conventional computed tomography (CT) or Cone Beam Computed tomography (CBCT), have been proposed. Both methods are reliable for the measurement of bone density, but preference is given to CBCT, due to the lower radiation doses, greater comfort for the patient and the lower prices. Pre-opera-tively defined bone density is a good indicator of the future success of implant therapy. In addition to the bone density, vascu-larity of the jawbone is an important factor of the quality of the bone for the osseointegration of dental implants. Laser Doppler is a simple method that can determine the vascularity of bone during implant insertion. Th e development of modern diagnostic methods for assessing the quantity and quality of the jawbone has enabled easier implant planning and has provided a secure outcome.