Positioning errors of dental implants and their associations with adjacent structures and anatomical variations: A...

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Dental Implantology
• Radiology

Background:

• Accurate dental implant placement is crucial for successful osseointegration and function.
• Positioning errors can lead to complications and compromise treatment outcomes.
• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a valuable tool for evaluating implant positioning and anatomical relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of dental implant positioning errors.
• To investigate the association between these errors and adjacent anatomical structures.
• To assess the influence of anatomical variations on implant positioning accuracy.

Main Methods:

• CBCT scans of 207 patients with 584 dental implants were analyzed by two oral radiologists.
• Measurements included implant-to-adjacent tooth/implant distances and presence of thread exposure or cortical perforation.
• Correlations with incisor canal diameter and submandibular fossa concavity were assessed.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of positioning errors (82.9%) was observed, primarily inadequate spacing.
• Anatomical variations did not significantly affect the overall error rate (P>0.05).
• A positive correlation was found between incisor canal diameter and implant penetration frequency (r=0.232, P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Dental implant positioning errors are common, with inadequate inter-implant/tooth distance being the most frequent.
• Positioning errors are not significantly associated with anatomical variations.
• Clinicians must prioritize preoperative assessment of available space for optimal implant placement.