Introduction
Dental implant surgery is always conducted based on a plan that your surgeon creates. Conventionally, the plan is based on a patient’s dental x-rays. But newer, computer-guided methods are much more precise.
How does computer-guided implant surgery work?
We begin by taking a CT scan of the patient. These scans give a high level of detail with much lower radiation than a medical CT scan. The digital images are sent to a medical modeling company. They use CAD/CAM software and a 3D printer to produce a plastic template, or guide. The oral and maxillofacial surgeon uses this guide to precisely plan and complete implant placement.
How is this better than x-ray based implant surgery?
The surgeons at Argyle Associates can achieve excellent dental implant results conventionally or using computer-guided technology. Computer-guided surgery offers many advantages:
- Greater collaboration between the surgeon and the restorative dentist
- Increased safety
- More precise implant placement
- Less invasive surgery with less post-operative discomfort, swelling, and bruising
How accurate is computer-guided implant surgery?
Minor inaccuracies in positioning the guide can be an issue during it. This is generally only an issue if there are no teeth to act as a guide for placing the template. However, the inaccuracies are in the range of 1.00-1.65 mm (Turbush et. al., 2012), which is considered acceptable for the procedure.
Is computer-guided implant surgery right for me?
This method of dental implant surgery is precise and predictable, with shorter surgery time and shorter recovery than conventional approaches.
It is more costly than the conventional method due to the need for CT scans, longer time in the planning phase, and the need for surgical kits and templates.
Given that it is faster, less invasive and generally less painful, this may be the right dental implant approach for you.