Dental Implants and Guided Surgery
Implant placement and guided surgery
Implantologists usually place dental implants using visual cues and measurements directly observable within your mouth.
Today, digital tools allow virtual planning of the implant positions . Thanks to dedicated software, the practitioner can create a custom drilling guide prior to the surgical procedure.
This guide, called a surgical template, is then precisely positioned in your mouth, at the planned location. The surgeon drills and places the implant through this guide, ensuring an optimal positioning.
Advantages and disadvantages of guided implant surgery
The advantages of guided implant surgery are numerous:
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We optimize the available bone volume, which often allows avoiding a bone graft.
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We position dental implants with high precision, which is particularly useful in complex or high‑risk cases.
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We insert implants without lifting the gums, which reduces post‑operative discomfort.
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In some cases, we prepare a temporary fixed prosthesis even before the intervention, enabling immediate loading. prothèse fixe provisoire avant même l’intervention, ce qui permet une mise en fonction immédiate.
The drawbacks of guided implant surgery are as follows:
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The guide takes up space in the mouth, which complicates the positioning of the drill.
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If the bone quality in the planned zone is insufficient, the practitioner must remove the template and continue implant placement without guidance.
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When surgery requires a bone or gum graft, the use of the guide becomes unnecessary, as it must be removed to access the area to treat.
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The cost of the surgical guide is added to the total cost of the implantation, increasing the overall treatment budget.
Treatment protocol in guided surgery
Planning the placement of dental implants using guided surgery follows a rigorous three‑step protocol: planning, fabrication, and surgery.
Planning
We begin by virtually positioning the implant using 3D planning software. This software merges radiographic images (cone beam) with those from a digital impression of the jaw. Thanks to this technology, we define precisely the angle, depth, and ideal location of each implant.
Fabrication
Once the position is validated, we send the data to a specialized fabrication center. The center produces a personalized drilling guide in a biocompatible material, which we sterilize before use. The laboratory can also manufacture, in parallel, a provisional prosthesis (crown or bridge) to be fixed immediately after implant placement.
Surgery
On the day of the procedure, we place the guide directly on your remaining teeth or screw it into the jaw. This guide precisely directs the drilling and insertion of the implant, ensuring a fast, precise, and safe surgery. Once the implant is placed, we remove the surgical guide. If a provisional prosthesis has been planned, we screw it into place immediately at the end of the procedure.
When to use an implant surgical guide?
At the 47VH practice, we will advise using a surgical guide only when it is necessary, so as not to unnecessarily increase the cost of your interventions.
Implant surgical guides are an additional tool that allows surgeons to optimize the three‑dimensional positioning of the implant.
However, they do not replace a practitioner’s clinical experience. Whether or not a surgical guide is used, the fundamentals of implant surgery must be respected to ensure the proper function and longevity of the implant.
Clinical case of guided implant surgery
