For a dental implant to be successful, the there not only must be enough underlying bone, but the underlying bone must be of good quality. During a patient’s initial consultation for an implant, a periodontal surgeon will evaluate the bone quality, the strength of bone, and the bone mass vs bone density with a number of diagnostic tests. The bone quality will be assessed using the BQI, or Bone Quality Index.
The bone quality index range goes from 1 to 4, with type 2 bone being considered the most successful for osseointegration of implant hardware. Type 1 bone has less vascularity than type 2, while type 3 and 4 bone is much too soft for a successful dental implant. Type 2 bone has enough vascularity for proper healing but also provides solid cortical anchorage for enough stability.