Osteotome
Pronunciation: OS-tee-oh-tome
A hand instrument used in implant dentistry to compress and laterally displace bone at the osteotomy site rather than remove it, commonly used for ridge expansion and minimally invasive sinus floor elevation.
Full Definition
An osteotome is a small, tapered, and often serrated hand instrument that is malleted or pressed apically into the osteotomy to condense and laterally displace cancellous bone rather than excise it. In implant dentistry, osteotomes are used in two primary contexts: ridge expansion (splitting narrow ridges) and crestal sinus elevation (the Summers osteotome technique), in which the sinus floor is infractured and elevated to create space for an implant and graft material. The osteotome technique is contrasted with conventional drilling, which removes bone tissue. Editors should not confuse 'osteotome' with 'osteotomy,' which is the surgical cut or prepared site, nor with 'bone tap,' which cuts threads.
Usage
Usage note: Distinguish carefully from 'osteotomy' (the surgical cut/site) and 'bone tap' (a thread-cutting instrument). When describing the Summers technique, 'osteotome' should be lower-cased unless part of the proper name 'Summers osteotome technique'.
In Context
- "A series of increasing-diameter osteotomes was used to condense the bone and elevate the sinus floor by 3 mm without perforation." — Surgical technique case report
- "The draft mistakenly used 'osteotomy' where 'osteotome' was intended; the editor corrected both the instrument name and the site descriptor." — Copy-editing correction log