Focused clinical question: Under what circumstances may a clinician consider dental implant placement at a site exhibiting a focal high or mixed density (HMD) osseous lesion radiologically?
Summary: Some conditions and pathologic entities exhibiting high and mixed density radiological appearance pose low risk for dental implant failure or complications following implant surgery. However, other lesions represent contraindications to implant placement, and implant surgery at such sites can result in severe morbidity.
Conclusion: Potential implant sites exhibiting focal HMD osseous lesions/conditions present varying levels of risk. In most cases, optimal management will include advanced imaging of the site, multidisciplinary consultations, and detailed informed consent to assure full understanding of procedural risks, benefits, and complications. Currently, clinical recommendations rely on case reports, opinion, and usual practice (level 3 evidence). The strength of each recommendation provided in this report is categorized as level C.
Keywords: Clinical protocols; dental implants; morbidity; oral pathology; radiology; treatment outcome.
Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.