There is a great deal written about minimally invasive procedures and minimally invasive surgery in both scientific as well as patient oriented literature. Let’s discuss what is meant by these terms. The goal of minimally invasive procedures is to both shorten the recovery for the patient and minimize risks or complications of surgery. Occasionally, in dental implantology, the goal is also earlier restoration of teeth compared to conventional procedures.
Conventional methods depend on using a wider incisions allowing both easier access and visualization during the surgery. Minimally invasive procedures depend on smaller incisions and often require specialized instrumentation. Smaller incisions usually result in faster patient recovery and less risk of complications such as infections or problems of wound healing. However more advanced training, greater experience and complex specialized instrumentation is often required to perform minimally invasive procedures. Our office sees the value to our patients, and has committed significant educational time and resources to the application of minimally invasive procedures to enhance our practice of Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery and dental implants in particular.