Preserving Dental Implants “It Takes Two” presented by Lil Caperila, RDH, BSDH, M.Ed

Once a patient receives one or more dental implants, the process begins as an Integrated effort between the dental surgeon and restorative dentist. If this is performed by two different practitioners, communication and common practice philosophy is paramount for the success of the implant.

As this patient moves into implant maintenance phase, that cooperative team becomes the dental hygienist and the patient. The skills necessary to ensure that an implant is monitored comes from the techniques employed during dental assessment, medical review and diagnostic steps to ensure that the osseointegration is not compromised since initial placement. But, it becomes the responsibility of the patient to develop the home care techniques that require a consistent and concentrated effort to sustain the health of the implant site.

OBJECTIVES:
• Applying the new periodontal classification for dental implants
• Distinguishing the implant materials used to match appropriate hygiene instruments used during maintenance therapy
• Review necessary steps in assessment, diagnosis and application of patient education
• Identification of risk behavior modification and antimicrobial agents to sustain implant health