Surgical approaches to repositioning of the inferior alveolar nerve for placement of osseointegrated implants.

Severe resorption of the posterior mandible poses one of the most difficult restorative challenges to the implant surgeon today. Although bone augmentation procedures may increase the amount of bone in which to place implants, these procedures are costly and have an increased risk of complications to the patient. With the proper evaluation, treatment planning, and attention to technical detail, nerve repositioning appears to offer an excellent alternative to augmentation procedures for placement of dental implants.