Dental Implants: Basics & Maintenance Overview

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Dental Implants: Basics & Maintenance Overview

Once considered an elective for the privileged few, dental implants are now provided as a routine dental service. Long-term success for these patients is dependent on a collaborative effort with the dentist and dental hygienist, however, there is limited formal education about dental implant maintenance in the current US dental hygiene curriculum.

Even if a practice does not routinely place or restore dental implants, team members need to have basic knowledge of treatment options, components, and patient care protocols. With changing classifications about treatment considerations for peri-implant disease and advancements in technology it is not uncommon for dental hygienists to express uncertainty about patient care.

This program will review the history of osseointegration, the evolution of treatment workflows for dental implant therapy, along with decision-making factors leading to maintenance protocols for implant cases ranging from a single tooth to full arch screw-retained restorations.

Course Objectives:

• Review history of osseointegration and dental implant therapy
• Discuss treatment options and considerations for single tooth and full arch treatment concepts
• Identify dental implant components
• Discuss treatment workflows for surgical referrals and total solution providers
• Review of aftercare, recall maintenance, and protocols for prevention of Peri-implantitis

Lynn Pencek, RDH, MS

Lynn Pencek brings a unique balance of industry knowledge and clinical experience to her presentations. As a member of the Nobel Biocare team, she helped offices bring in new technology and develop efficient workflows for dental implant treatment. Lynn has experience with surgical assisting, clinical workflows, digital case planning for guided surgery, account and inventory management, marketing, and patient education for case acceptance.

Being a Dental Hygienist, Lynn wanted to learn more about the care and maintenance of dental implants than what was provided. Having a passion to unravel the questions and common misunderstandings dental hygienists have about dental implant maintenance, Lynn has founded her company“Practice at your Best”.

Lynn started her clinical career as a graduate of Broome County Community College Department of Dental Hygiene. She is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson University’s Department of Dental Hygiene and received her Master of Science in Dental Hygiene from The University of Maryland School of Dentistry. Lynn has held Dental Hygiene faculty appointments at Thomas Jefferson University and Community College of Philadelphia. She has served as a Corporate Council member for Dimensions in Dental Hygiene representing Nobel Biocare and Orascoptic. As a past president of the Philadelphia Dental Hygienists’ Association and a ten-year attendee of Career Fusion, Lynn has spent her career helping dental professionals explore options for having their best careers.