Welcome at the e.Learning website of the DGI

The patient's desire for functionally and esthetically intact dentition can nowadays be met by choosing from a great variety of safe and promising implant systems. Important factors for long-term success are knowledge of inner and outer anatomic structures of the jaw and neighboring regions, osseointegration, implant bed preparation, implant stability, implant shape, and the correct timing of implantation, as well as implant restoration and loading. This fundamental knowledge enables the reader to approach implantology with confidence.

Prerequisite for treatment with dental implants is a thorough risk assessment. This includes evaluation of bone, soft tissue, and prosthetic parameters, and should also consider the patient's expectations. Clinical examination is followed by diagnostic radiologic imaging to visualize the anatomic requirements. The treating implantologist has a responsibility to achieve clinically predictable and reproducible results. This course module provides a detailed description of the principles of diagnostic radiology in dental implantology. Documentation, visualization, analysis, and individual planning based on digital techniques are presented.

Preparing, processing and documenting implant surgery in order to have an excellent result is the demand of modern Implantology. This module focusses on the single-tooth implant in particular.

Principles of implant-borne prosthetic reconstructions, including the implant–abutment connection, impression techniques, fabrication of the master cast, and special aspects of bite registration. Treatment concepts of single tooth gap, partially edentulous jaw – especially the severely reduced dentition – and the edentulous jaw will be introduced.

Osseous augmentation improves the function enabling the optimal prothetic position of an implantat. It enhances esthetics and prognosis due to the sorrounding of stable bones.

Knowlege about wound healing, vascular anatomy of mucosa and gingiva are basic in order to optimize incisive techniques and optimizing soft tissue volume.

For dental rehabilitation using endosseous implants, augmentation of the hard tissue is often necessary to restore the aesthetics and function of the masticatory apparatus over the long term.

Modern techniques of implant prosthetics have a wide variety of different materials at their disposal, ranging from commercially pure titanium, titanium alloys, precious metal, and non-precious alloys, to tooth-colored materials. One of the most important prerequisites for dental materials is tissue compatibility and biocompatibility. Besides this, patients nowadays not only expect a restorations that meet modern esthetic standards but one which also has a long functional lifetime. The esthetic analysis is essential for the as-is situation. Next, the target situation represents the goal of treatment and serves as the planning basis for all further steps. Functional analysis aims to determine potential causes of functional complications and define a feasible occlusion and loading concept.