Kablan Classification of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Repositioning Procedure for Dental Implants Placement: Presentation of the Innovative Classification With Illustrative Cases

Tooth loss is one of the most common causes of reduced quality of life in adults, and edentulism can be debilitating handicap. Recently there is an increasing global trend in treatment involving the IAN repositioning and the available literature. In evaluating the continuing use of this technique standardization should be developed. In the present paper a new classification is suggested, illustrated, and discussed. Patients and methods: a retrospective analysis of the preoperative radiographic records, and the documents of the surgical procedures during 10 years period between 2008 -2018 of patients who had been treated with implant placement in conjunction of IAN repositioning of posterior atrophic mandible, and categorized depending on the available bone and the nerve location. Our patients are divided into four categories. Results: 132 edentulous posterior mandibles in 98 patients (72 women, 26 men; age range from 20 to 75 years) have been treated by IAN repositioning between 2008-2018. Those sites were divided into 4 categories. Category 1, included 54 patients with 72 sites, and was treated by one surgery. Category 2, included 15 patients with 15 sites and was treated with 2 stages. Category 3, included 17 patients with 21 sites, and category 4, included 12 patients with 24 sites. In Categories 3 and 4, the treatment was completed in one surgery. The treated 132 sites with IAN repositioning received 379 dental implants. All the sites were restored by fixed prosthesis implant- supported. The patients were satisfied, reported a good function and an improvement in their quality of life after the rehabilitation. Conclusions: Kablan classification puts the patients who need IAN manipulation for dental implant in 4 categories which enhances the precise diagnosis and predict the treatment stages of the patients in each category. It may be one of the steps toward standardized this treatment modality.