Dental Implants Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Dental Implants, including details on dentistry, surgery, tooth implants.

Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing Surgical Guidance for Placement of Dental Implants: Case Report.

Wong NY, Huffer-Charchut H, Sarment DP

*Resident, Department of Biomaterial Sciences, Graduate Prosthodontics, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI. †Previously, Graduate Periodontics Resident. Presently, private practice, Lansing, MI. ‡Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI.

Dental implant rehabilitation faces increasing prosthetic and esthetic demands, requiring precise surgical planning and placement. Presurgical treatment evaluation can now be accomplished using 3-dimensional computed tomography imaging. Although software has been developed to assist in implant selection and localization, transferring this information to the surgical field has remained a difficult task. Over the last few years, computer-aided design and manufacturing have made it possible to use data from computed tomography in order to transfer virtual implant placementto the surgery. One of these techniques utilizes a small computer-driven drilling mechanism that transfers implant planning on a laboratory model. This novel approach may be advantageous once available in dental laboratories and/or offices. This report presents the method and, for the first time, illustrates it with a fully edentulous advanced clinical case. Resulting clinical benefits over traditional procedures are discussed.

Published 12 June 2007 in Implant Dent, 16(2): 123-130.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Dental Implants Research Today. All Rights Reserved.