Endosseous blade implants 463

Fig. 11-3. Incising the tissue. (From Linkow, L. I.: The blade vent, a new dimension in endosseous implantology, Dent. Concepts 11:3-18, 1968.)

Fig. 11-4. Making the groove. (From Linkow, L. I.: The blade vent, a new dimension in endosseous implantology, Dent. Concepts 11:3-18, 1968.)

Fig. 11-5. The groove should be sharp and even. (From Linkow, L. I.: The blade vent, a new dimension in endosseous implantology, Dent. Concepts 11:3-18, 1968.)

with no problems encountered. The buccolingual width should not be wider than the implant, because the uppermost part of the blade must be wedged between both cortical plates of bone slightly below the alveolar crest. The wedge principle works better when the superior portion of the blade is firmly held by thick cortical bone rather than by the softer bone beneath the cortical layer. In many instances, the overhanging cortical bone can be swedged over the shoulders of the implant.

4. The implant is set in the prepared groove (Fig. 11-7) and tapped further into the bone with a mallet and an inserting instrument (Fig. 11-8). Be-cause the implant is wedge-shaped, it becomes tight-

Fig. 11-6. The groove is the same size as the implant in a mesiodistal relationship and should be as deep as the blade portion of the implant.

Fig. 11-7. The implant is placed inside the groove.