Maintenance procedures for the implant patient

The purpose of this article is to provide the dental staff, the hygienist and or the assistant with a basic understanding of the most current update on the comprehensive clinical examination, documentation and instrumentation of the dental implant and its components. Although the primary issue in implant success is proper occlusal loading, prosthetic design and the distribution of the occlusal forces, one must also consider the importance of the maintenance of the implant environment. Understanding the implant environment and the rationale for impeccable bacterial control along with the principles for assessing the prosthesis and surrounding tissues may provide important information regarding the longterm success of the implant environment. The trained dental hygienist and or auxilliary can be instrumental in maximising the compliance, motivation and education of the patient as it relates to maintenance of the dental implant.