Guide to Implant Identification
Why is implant identification important?
We are often asked to help identify implants when this information has been difficult to obtain from routine sources. While we don’t offer this service, we do find ourselves in the same situation, with the numerous implant mechanical rescue (IMR) cases we routinely treat. It has been reported by the American Dental Association that almost five million dental implants were placed in the U.S. in 2021. As this trend is expected to continue in the coming years, the number of cases is increasing dramatically. Compounded by the explosion of over 500 implant systems worldwide, this identification challenge is going to grow exponentially, as cases age in a mobile population. Therefore, we thought it would be helpful to have an organized resource to help other dentists maneuver through this process when their situation doesn’t involve an IMR case.
Knowing implant component specifics is fundamental to delivering quality care, either initially or for subsequent therapies (either IMR or a replacement restoration). The implant identification process involves precisely determining the manufacturer, type, and size of an unknown dental implant, by evaluating radiographic images, or other information gathering. Once the implant is identified, parts can be resourced to move forward with restoration or recovery.
Identifying an Implant is an Important First Step in Resolving an IMR
To save clinical time, it is important to gather as many implant identification details as possible before scheduling an appointment with our team to retrieve your patient’s broken dental implant components. This includes access to the damaged parts, along with any recovered original implant abutments, screw or restoration. When Dr. Mastrovich examines these components, this can significantly help in identifying nuances of the implant-to-abutment interface, design geometry, and size. In some cases, implant identification can be a lengthy process.
Occasionally, Dr. Mastrovich has to examine the patient and disassemble the case to positively identify the implant system and size, based on the internal geometry and dimensions of the implant-abutment interface. The following case, Fractured Abutment Retrieval on a Previously Unidentified Implant, illuminates the possible complications in the identification process.
Patients should have information about their implant system, type, and size, as well as abutment details before scheduling an appointment. Typically, this information should be available from the patient’s current or previous dentist, and included on the Referral Intake Form. Our goal is to treat and retrieve at the initial appointment, thereby saving patients’ time and costs associated with time spent with multiple appointments. Providing this information ahead of time allows Dr. Mastrovich to determine if any additional custom, high-precision tooling needs to be designed and machined for the specific circumstance, thus resulting in saving time, money, and stress for all involved. In an unidentified anterior IMR case, the referring dentist may need to be prepared with a temporary prosthetic solution, in case disassembly sacrifices the crown or restoration.
Strategies to Help with Implant Identification
Identifying an unknown implant can be a multi-step process:
- Contacting the Dentist who placed the implant for the implant details (system, type, size) is the most efficient, if the patient does not have the implant data.
- Obtain a current periapical radiograph of the dental implant, showing the full implant and the internal aspects
- Review of the implant interface, implant body, and implant screw, if possible
- Comparison of the implant characteristics visible in the current periapical radiograph, to the characteristics in the online databases and manufacturer websites
- Implant company technical support staff are often very helpful in identifying the implants belonging to their own system
- Some third-party component manufacturers can offer help with specific implant identification
- Utilize Implant Identification Services (some examples include Whatimplantisthat.com and Spotimplant.com)
Free and Paid Implant Identification Options
Have you tried an implant identification (ID) service? We have used the following free implant ID database services for dental professionals looking to identify unknown implants. Both services offer free and paid options. While these services are not foolproof, they can be extremely helpful.
Whatimplantisthat.com has a free implant database, which you can access and compare to your patient’s radiographs. This helpful resource was initially designed for dental professionals to aid in identifying dental implants through patient radiographs. It can be amazing how many distinct features implants possess that distinguish them from the countless options available. Simply take a high-quality radiograph and browse this extensive library of images to identify the implant through radiographic analysis. This site also has a helpful tutorial on how to characterize implants. They also offer a paid option to upload a radiograph for them to identify.
Spotimplant.com has free and paid service options, as well. AI is used to identify the implants for your patient from your radiographs. The experts at Spotimplant have designed an AI-powered algorithm that predicts technical features, and dimensions, and spots the most similar implants. Simply upload a radiograph of the unknown implant to receive an identification report. Spotimplant also features an index of many implants, from brands and countries, which can be searched by brand, model, and external features.
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To avoid this problem altogether, it is crucial to have detailed information about the system, size, and type of implant for each patient, as doctors can retire, records can age out, and implant systems can become obsolete. Moreover, determining the implant type can be time-consuming and expensive. Thankfully, identification services for implants with databases and other tools can help save time and money by identifying the implant system, size, and type.
In the United States alone, thousands of implant identifications are being conducted every month and digital storage options have now become available for patients. One group of innovators, ID2, has already developed a dental implant registry and patient portal option for maintaining easily accessible digital implant records. Digital access to records will soon become a standard step of all dental implant procedures.
Stay tuned for more information on this topic in an upcoming blog!
Our team at Implant Mechanical Rescue, led by Dr. Mastrovich, is committed to providing quality dental care. We understand your concerns and work diligently to address your dental issues in a timely manner, so you can move forward with confidence.
This information is also available on our website under the Resources tab.
Contact Dr. Mastrovich and the Mastrovich Dental Team for more information on Implant Identification and on our Implant Mechanical Rescue services.
