I came across an article on implant dentistry, where the dental claims related to implants often have a high degree of severity. And there were several reasons illustrated for these high claim severity. One, implant dentistry is reallu expensive and costs patients anywhere from $5,000 to $40,000. Second, the patients usually have high functional and aesthetic expectations from the implants and at times they are not satisfied by the outcomes. Most of the claims reported were related to adverse outcomes, need for corrective surgery, permanent paresthesia, improper placement of implant or other less serious issues. Thus an implant risk management is strictly followed by the dentists that includes careful patient selection, thorough case planning and sound clinical technique to minimize the risks to the patients and to reduce the severity of the claims. Proper case selection includes assessing the patient’s overall health and underlying diseases. Local factors such as oral hygiene, bone quality, nerve position, occlusion, periodontal status, extent of interincisal opening, keratinized gingival are analysed apart from paying attention to other factors such as use of tobacco, alcohol use, patient attitude, cooperation, homecare, reasonableness of expectations. Once, the acceptable implant candidate is determined the risk shifts to the dentist’s own due diligence in planning and delivering the case.His knowledge, clinical ability and experience in implant dentistry are critical factors which determines the success of the implant. To control or mitigate the risks, a thorough
pre-surgical planning followed by good communication with the patient, advance planning to manage the choices and the complexities of implant surgery are involved. Once an informed consent is taken from the patient, a thorough documentation plays a critical role in mitigating the risks associated with the implants.