It would perhaps be an understatement to call guided dental implant surgery just a technological advance. It is a complete rethinking of the process, using the latest techniques and making the procedure more precise with more predictability than could have been thought possible only a few years ago.
Guided dental implant surgery
The name is pretty self-explanatory, as guided implant surgery is carried out using a surgical guide. There are different kinds of guides available, but for the purpose of simplicity, we will talk about the kinds which are used from the beginning to the end of the dental surgery. Such surgeries are called fully-guided surgeries.
Surgical guides can also be used to just make the first drill to help find the initial positioning of the implant, or can be used to just help the surgeon maintain the correct depth.
How is a surgical guide fabricated?
The guide takes into account the presence of:
- Anatomical structures to be avoided
- The dimensions of the bone
- The position of the final prosthesis
The surgical guide is fabricated by 3D printing machines that are affordable and easily available all around the world now. This kind of planning and printing used to take weeks as well as cost thousands of dollars a few years ago. Now, it can be carried out in minutes for a fraction of that cost making it very accessible to surgeons around the world.
Why is guided implant surgery better for patients?
A patient is not concerned about the method of surgery or the technical details. They just want the outcome to be satisfactory, and anything that helps the surgeon achieve that is to the patient’s benefit as well.
There are also some real and tangible advantages for the patient in the manner that the surgery is performed. Guided dental implant surgery is most often performed without raising a flap, so that means no cuts or the use of a blade.
The surgery is performed in a minimally-invasive manner that allows the healing to take place faster than with conventional surgery. The 3D information collected during the planning process as well as the predictable final position of the implant allows the dentist to fabricate temporary crowns beforehand and provide an immediate replacement to the patient.
The success of dental implant treatment provided as well as the longevity of the final prosthesis is expected to be better over the next few decades, with a dramatic reduction in associated complications.
Are there any drawbacks to guided implant surgery?
There are very few drawbacks when it comes to guided implant surgery. Perhaps one could be an increased amount of time that needs to be spent planning and collecting all the information for the fabrication of the guide.
This process requires a couple of extra visits to the dental clinic and a bit of a wait until the planning/fabrication of the guide is complete.
The cost of guided implant surgery may also be a bit higher than conventional implant surgery but that difference is rapidly coming down.
Not all cases can be treated with guided implant surgery since the need for bone grafting, guided bone regeneration, or direct sinus lifts requires the surgeon to have direct access to the bone. Also, the implant drills used in guided implant surgery are a bit longer than the regular implant drills. This makes their use difficult in patients that have a reduced mouth opening.
Can any dental surgeon perform guided implant surgery?
Any dentist who places dental implants in his or her practice can perform guided implant surgery, but they will require some additional training in the process. There are a few changes to the manner in which the surgery is carried out which can require a bit of getting used to.
Managing the temperature changes within the bone as well as learning to trust the planning are the two things that surgeons take time getting used to. As a patient, you can ask your implant surgeon about guided dental implant surgery without hesitation.
The use of guided implant systems in no way indicates that a surgeon needs the assistance to perform surgery or that the surgeon lacks in skill/experience. It actually means that the surgeon is up to date with the latest advances in the dental implant field and is using the highest recommended workflow to maximize the chances of success and achieving patient satisfaction.