Positioning errors of dental implants and their associations with adjacent structures and anatomical variations: A CBCT-based study
Beatriz Ribeiro Ribas, Eduarda Helena Leandro Nascimento, Deborah Queiroz Freitas, Andréa dos Anjos Pontual, Maria Luíza dos Anjos Pontual, Danyel Elias da Cruz Pérez, Flávia Maria de Moraes Ramos‐Perez
Abstract
PURPOSE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental implants positioning errors and their associations with adjacent structures and anatomical variations by means of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: CBCT images of 207 patients (584 dental implants) were evaluated by 2 oral radiologists. The distance between the implant and the adjacent teeth/implants was measured and classified as adequate (≥1.5 mm and ≥3 mm, respectively) or inadequate. The presence of thread exposure, cortical perforation, implant dehiscence, implant penetration into adjacent structures, and anatomical variations was also recorded. The incisor canal diameter and the depth of the concavity of the submandibular fossa were measured in order to evaluate their correlations with the frequency of implant penetration in these structures. Descriptive analyses, the Fisher exact test, and Spearman correlation analysis were performed (α=0.05). RESULTS: <0.05). CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of dental implant positioning errors, and positioning errors were not associated with the presence of anatomical variations. Professionals should be aware of the space available for implant placement during the preoperative planning stage.