Dental Implants: What Implant is That?

Since I am a restorative dentist, I usually rely on my surgeons to tell me what implant system they used if they refer a case to me.

Sometimes, however, a patient comes into the practice with an implant that I don't recognize. Since most of the dental implants I have restored over the past 20 years have been Straumann, I don't recognize other systems easily. If I have to restore an orphan implant, it can really slow down the process until I identify the system.

Fortunately, Drs. Nate Farley and Kent Howell have experienced the same problem and have created a resource that makes figuring out those unknown dental implants fast and easy.

A wonderful resource that is easy to use to identify dental implants is www.whatimplantisthat.com.

They have included a quick and easily understandable tutorial that will teach you how to quickly enter the appropriate parameters of the implant you are seeing on a periapical film. As you select the different characteristics, images of dental implants appear, and you can easily select the one that matches the fixture in your patient.

When you click on the implant you have identified, you are directed to the implant company's website. The better implant companies will have restorative information allowing you to choose the abutments you like, as well as, understand all of the restorative options – and frequently, the best practices for that system.

If you are still struggling, they will figure it out for you; all you do is follow a few steps that are outlined on the site.

The site is free and is supported both by advertising and donations from grateful users. It really is a great resource! Thanks Nate and Kent!