drilling die, the socket will widen slightly. If the site has been properly prepared, the blade will not loosen. Also, the mechanical pressure on bone slightly stretched by a snugly fitting blade appears to hasten recovery of the site. A properly seated blade is tight upon insertion.

When the socket appears finished, the bladevent is compared with it. The socket should be slightly longer than the bladevent on each end (15) or the same length, but not shorter. In many anterior cases, the implant socket curves to follow the arch (16). The straight bladevent (17) must be bent to fit it passively.

Two cone socket pliers (18) are used to bend the bladevent until its curve (19) matches that of the socket (20) .

Caution: A bladevent must fit its socket passively along the socket's entire length. Forcing a bladevent into strongly resistant bone will spread the socket walls beyond the bone's physiologic capacity, destroying bone cells and widening the socket.

The correctly bent blade is inserted into the socket along the socket's axis (21). Anteriorly, this is relatively easy to do by hand. Posteriorly, a special carrying instrument is often necessary. Manual pressure should be adequate to lodge the implant. If the implant slides in easily up to the bottom of its post, the socket is too wide. If the bladevent cannot be made tight in its socket, the site must be abandoned.

The angle of bending is estimated, and the bladevent is with-drawn by hand (22) or with an implant remover.

Caution: The implant never should be rocked (23) out of its socket!

Two cone socket pliers are used to bend the neck of the post (24) gradually to the proper angle. The post should not be worked back and forth innumerable times, trying for a good angle. Frequent bending will weaken even the strongest metal.

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