Digitally Guided Implant Placement by Dr. Dee Dee Meevasin

Benefits include lower failure rate, less chair time and increased opportunity for practice growth

by Dr. Dee Dee Meevasin

• Ideal implant placement. Because the surgical guide maps out a plan for the placement based on the final restoration, it provides for a more accurate and ideal positioning of the implant.
• Lower failure rates. The use of the surgical guide allows for accurate placement based on the plan, reducing human error and resulting in lower failure rates. According to studies,¹ the frequency of implant failure in freehand surgery versus guided surgery was nearly three times higher—6.42% and 2.25%, respectively.
• Less chair time. By reducing the number of appointments and the amount of chair time for a patient’s implant surgery from four to six to one or two visits, we are able to open up appointments for additional patients and treatments.
• Lab delays are eliminated. The process eliminates unexpected lab delays and production issues that could take up to two weeks, which results in increased efficiency and significantly lower costs.

Surgical guide printed in 3D using the Primeprint 3D Printing System by Dentsply Sirona

Case Study

FIG. 1: Crown down implant planning with Sicat Implant software.

FIG. 2: Axeos CBCT scan of final implant placement.

FIG. 3: Mounting surgical guide on the build plate with inLab CAM software.

FIG. 4: Planned surgical guide with implant-specific sleeve in Primescan.

FIG. 5: Final print from PrimePrint.

We recently treated a 43-year-old patient whose Tooth #20 had been previously extracted because of a vertical root fracture. The patient elected to restore the tooth with an implant to improve both function and aesthetics.

The entire process was completed within the Dentsply Sirona ecosystem. First, we took a 3D optical scan of the teeth with the Cerec Primescan and a CBCT image with Axeos. Then, we designed the surgical guide in-house by combining the optical scan and CBCT image, and 3D-printed the guide with the Primeprint machine. The Straumann implant was placed successfully without complications under local anesthetic (Figs. 1–5).

Dr. Dee Dee Meevasin has more than 22 years of industry experience. Her Las Vegas-based family practice, Dee for Dentist, provides state-of-the-art digital dentistry along with traditional dental services to promote the highest level of long-term oral health for every patient.