A preliminary drill is the first bone drill made during the process of implantation.

Here you can see an upper jaw without teeth – the patient is about to receive an implant. The preliminary drill is used as an aid to orientation, which provides a good overview of the quality of the bone. First, the mucuous membrane is removed using a puncher, and then the preliminary drill is performed.

Under continuous cooling, the drill is gently pressed into the bone, and goes slower or faster depending on the quality of the bone.

The directional pin is then placed into this preliminary opening, and helps to decide where to start the next preliminary drill. This helps to find the right direction to set implants, and supplement them with teeth later on.

Earlier, the general view on implants was that they had to be set into the bone just like the patient's own teeth – now we know that this is not necessary – we use the available bone. But still, we try to set implants parallel to each other, if possible – which makes technical care much easier.