3D CT guided implant surgery – Why having the right technology makes all the difference.

Before CT guided implant surgeries, surgeons would plan their dental implant placement off of a study model and panoramic radiograph. They would lay a large flap to visualize the bony anatomy and place the implants to engage the greatest volume of bone. After six months, they would uncover the implants and send the patient to their restorative dentist and hope that the implant fixtures were positioned well enough to be restored. Sometimes they were. Sometimes they were not,
in which case, the implant would be “buried” and never restored.

3D CT-guided dental implant surgery virtually eliminates these problems. Because the surgeon can better understand the size and position of the ideal restoration, they can use a 3D radiograph of the jaws to plan the implant placement sites, taking into account the bone volume, as well as the position of the prosthesis. If the bone is found to be weak or is lacking mass, it may require bone grafting. Due to the technology, this information is known before surgery and adjustments are made accordingly. This work is all done on a computer screen using the patient’s actual data.
All of the patients data is then used to create a custom surgical plan that accurately correlates from the computer screen to the patient’s mouth. This technique allows the surgery to be performed through a very small incision, in half the time of traditional implant surgery. In addition, the patient usually has a faster and more comfortable recovery, even when multiple implants are placed.

The goal of tooth replacement therapy with dental implants is to give the patient a functional and aesthetic prosthesis to restore their chewing function and self-confidence. 3D CT guided implant technology is one of the greatest contributions to the dental surgery profession.