What structures must be avoided during the placement of implants

Upper Jaw
In the upper jaw, provided the implants stay within the bone that once supported the original teeth there are really no areas of important risk. If you have missing upper back teeth then the shape and location of the maxillary sinus can be shown to you. The maxillary sinus can be seen on most X-rays and therefore can be readily avoided.

Lower Jaw
In the lower jaw the most important anatomical structure to be avoided is the ‘inferior dental nerve’. This nerve runs from the area behind the wisdom teeth, passes under the molars and emerges onto the skin of the face in the region where your premolar teeth are, or used to be. This is why a normal dental anaethetic produces a numb lip even when the needle was placed right in the back of the mouth.

If this nerve is disturbed or damaged during the placement of dental implants it can lead to temporary or even permanent numbness of the lip on the affected side. This is a rare, but very important complication.

CT Scans are generally the best means for identifying the location of this nerve and allow implants to be placed with considerable confidence. These, however are rarely available within a normal dental surgery. It will therefore require a visit to a local hospital, where a scan is generally completed within a few minutes. Whilst CT scans are more expensive than routine dental X-rays, the information they provide is often invaluable for complex treatment planning and knowing where important anatomical structures are located.